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

Table 1. 3 .Status <strong>of</strong> C A DP rOl!.rammes in India, 1974-1997
Type <strong>of</strong> programme
Achievement during
Share <strong>of</strong> each
Total up to
1974-75
item (%)
1992-97 end <strong>of</strong> VIII
VIII Plan
plan
I. Phl'sical status (Area in million fill.)
Construction <strong>of</strong> field
channels
12.19 1.77 13.96 39.35
Warabandhi 16.12 2.52 18.64 52.54
Land levelling 1.99 0.11 2.10 5.92
Field drains 0.59 0.19 0.78 2.19
Total 30.89 4.59 35.48 100.00
/I. Financial status (Rs. in crores)
Central sector expo 1081.22 607.07 1688.29 32.23
State sector expo 2091.73 1458.77 3550.50 67.77
Total 3172.95 2065.84 5238.79 100.00
Source: GOI, Plannmg CommissIOn, Nmth Five Year Plan (1997-2002).
Since its inception, the total area covered under different CAD
programmes till the end <strong>of</strong> the Eighth Plan was 35.48 million ha. with an
investment <strong>of</strong> Rs. 5238.79 crores. The achievement <strong>of</strong> targets, as revealed by the
data presented in the table, seems to be encouraging enough in implementing
warabandi programmes (53 %) followed by construction <strong>of</strong> field channels (39
%). It is somewhat disappointing to note that the progress in land levelling and
field drains has been poor and negligible, particularly, since these two aspects <strong>of</strong>
OFD are very crucial to ensuring water use efficiency and to the avoidance <strong>of</strong>
adverse effects on soil in the long run.
Hence, it is necessary to examme the problems and constraints, if any,
contributing to the less efficient performance <strong>of</strong> CADA in implementing OFD
works in the commanu areas. It is a fact that lack ur systematic and scientific
land development (OFD) works have led to several adverse effects on soil and
the environment apart from the under-utilisatioll <strong>of</strong> the irrigation potential
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