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

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<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> India to be released to the <strong>farm</strong>ers to take up<br />

OFD works was not even<br />

disbursed to the <strong>farm</strong>ers. The state government. there<strong>for</strong>e. had to bear the debt<br />

servlcmg charges. Same was the case with subsidy to be given to small <strong>and</strong><br />

marginal <strong>farm</strong>ers <strong>for</strong> dIgging wells <strong>and</strong> installing pumpsets to encourage<br />

c<strong>on</strong>junctive use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> canal <strong>and</strong> ground water. Only 22 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the m<strong>on</strong>ey<br />

earmarked <strong>for</strong> the purpose was disbursed. If this programme was properly<br />

implemented. <strong>farm</strong>ers would have resorted to c<strong>on</strong>junctive use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water. which<br />

would have helped reducing adverse effects like waterlogging <strong>and</strong> salinity. For.<br />

wells in canal comm<strong>and</strong> areas work as vertical drains to arrest rise in water table.<br />

The c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> field channels. an important aspect 0f OFD has been<br />

far behind the expected levels in smaller blocks <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 5 ha. <strong>and</strong> less. Farmers from<br />

the smaller blocks have been given loans <strong>for</strong> c<strong>on</strong>structing field channels. The<br />

loan amount is <strong>on</strong>ly nominal (ie.. Rs. 200 per ha.), which is inadequate. Since<br />

<strong>farm</strong>ers were unable to mobilise the additi<strong>on</strong>al funds required <strong>for</strong> the purpose,<br />

they did not c<strong>on</strong>struct field channels. It had, there<strong>for</strong>e. adversely affected water<br />

distributi<strong>on</strong>, use <strong>and</strong> management, particularly in smaller plots. This calls <strong>for</strong> a<br />

realistic estimati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> expenditure taking the locati<strong>on</strong>-specific c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s like<br />

topography, slope <strong>and</strong> type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> soils, <strong>for</strong> carrying out OFD works.<br />

Most neglected aspect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OFD is the drainage. Depending up<strong>on</strong> the type<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the soil <strong>and</strong> other topographic c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s, the nature, type <strong>and</strong> extent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

drainage works will be decided. This calls <strong>for</strong> systematic <strong>and</strong> scientific survey to<br />

estimate the drainage works. But, it is un<strong>for</strong>tunate that in all the 14 projects<br />

completed, as <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> March 1998, it was not carried out. With the result, <strong>on</strong>ly 8 per<br />

cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the targeted area identified <strong>for</strong> drainage. was completed by 1997. The<br />

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