Water Users Association and Irrigation Management - Institute for ...

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demand compared to other varieties; however, the cost of cultivation is also quite high. It is
used for both commercial purpose and home consumption.
December to January: Crops are harvested, threshed, marketed and stored. Lands are
generally kept fallow during this period and cattle are grazed on crop stubble. Cleaning of
watercourse and drainage are undertaken and farmers normally carry out land improvement
techniques during this period.
HinKaaru (Rabi) (February to Apri/): This is the second season of the abrricultural year
and early maturing second quality of paddy known as 'Yerramalli' and 'Sujatha' are grown
during this period. This variety requires fewer inputs in terms of fertilizer, pesticides and
lahor than 'Sona mussorie'. It is used only for commercial purposes.
J/ay to June: Canal closure period 2 .
undertakes canal repair works.
The Irrigation Department during this period
It can be seen Irom table 4.13 that violation of cropping pattern and unauthorized
cultivation is a common feature in both the villages. Farmers in both the villages grow two
irrigated paddy crops per year. It is mainly due to Andhra farmers who have been growing
paddy in those areas localized lor light crops. However, by and large the Kannada farmers
have adopted tht: cropping practices of the neighboring Andhra farmers and have started
growing paddy that is now integrated into their farming system. Further, to hasten the
development of the command area during the fifties and early sixties. the authorities
themselves encouraged crop violation by permitting the growing of paddy in dry irrigated
lands. They were cncouraged to do so in order to make good use of the then abundantly
available water bccause only part of the scheme had been completed. Even after completion
of the scheme, the rules of protective irrigation have been completely forgotten both by the
agency and the farmers. The project that was designed to irrigate semi-dry crops that were
to occupy more than 60 percent of its command area is now dominated by ponded paddy
, The opening and closure of the canal depends on the reservoir capacity. The minimum water level required
for opening the gates is 1619. n feet. Sometimes the gates are opened for more days than actually notified.
This enables the tail enders to get water since the upper and middle reach farmers would have used water
sufficiently.
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