economics of on-farm development - Institute for Social and ...

The performance <strong>of</strong> major irrigation projects was, therefore,
unsatisfactory. Apart from the nuances <strong>of</strong> the definition <strong>of</strong> irrigation potential
created. the fact remains that potential created was unutilised or misutilised. for
various reasons. needing further empirical analysis. Despite the lion's share <strong>of</strong>
the investment in irrigation sector taken by the major and medium projects, its
contribution to the total potential was lower than that <strong>of</strong> minor projects.
This attracted the attention <strong>of</strong> planners and they started analysing the
problems and constraints, if any, contributing to the alleged inefficiency <strong>of</strong>
irrigation systems.
The Irrigation Commission (GO!, 1972) had gone in detail into the
problem and attributed the under-utilisation <strong>of</strong> irrigation potential to the
following causes:
a) deficiencies in the design and implementation <strong>of</strong> projects. including
completion <strong>of</strong> reservoirs ahead <strong>of</strong> canal works;
b) lack <strong>of</strong> field channels to carry water from the government-created irrigation
outlets to the individual farms;
c) inadequate attention given to proper development <strong>of</strong> land; and
d) poor planning <strong>of</strong> cropping patterns suited to the varying soil and drainage
conditions in different parts <strong>of</strong> the command area.
Besides. th~
National Commission on Agriculture in its interim Report (GOI,
1974) had als() highlighted the lower levels <strong>of</strong> productivity <strong>of</strong> irrigated
agriculture and ~ll1phasised
the need for modernising irrigation systems and
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