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

The water requirement <strong>of</strong> the crops grown in Peechi project also indicates
the wide differences between months <strong>of</strong> the year as shown in table 7.22.
Table 7.22: Annual water requirements in Peechi project
Total
Month requirement Wet crops (%) Dry crops (%)
! (Cu.m)
January 64.34 36.18 63.82
February 354.08 87.66 12.34
March 440.96 88.37 11.63
April 337.71 84.17 15.83
May 62.57 0.00 100.00
September 8.27 100.00 0.00
October 181.68 96.31 3.69
November 193.38 96.65 3.35
December 177.22 96.03 3.97
Total 1820.21 85.04 14.96
The table. shows that the demand for water is high for dry crops only
during the months <strong>of</strong> January and May. During the rest <strong>of</strong> the year, the water
demand from wet crops is in the range <strong>of</strong> 84 to 96 per cent.
Like elsewhere in the country, there is no incentive to use water
economically and no punishment for excessive and wasteful use. For, water
pricing is based only on area and crop basis. Farmers show hardly any interest in
efficient and economic use <strong>of</strong> water. The problems related to water distribution
and use are compounded by non-adoption <strong>of</strong> OFD at the field level due to the
wide range <strong>of</strong> constraints and problems reported in the foregoing.
In many <strong>of</strong> the irrigation projects coming under CADA, the field channels
are not constructed, or left incomplete. The cost estimates <strong>of</strong> OFD works, as
undulating topography, 75 per cent efficiency is expected to be realised after a few
year <strong>of</strong> operation <strong>of</strong> the system in a scientific manner.
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