Wastewater Irrigation in Gujarat - People in Centre Consulting

Figure 5: Map of Extent of Wastewater Irrigation in surrounding Areas of Bhuj City
Khari was a dry river and had flowing water only during intense monsoons. Now, it
has perennially flowing sewage water. It is interesting to note that the sowing of crops
in Nagor village is dependent on water supply to Bhuj city. If there is a cut in water
supply, then crops requiring less water are cultivated.
Area, Receipts and Cash Profit
During the field visits, it was found that a total net area of 248 ha and a gross area of
371 ha is being irrigated using wastewater. The estimated agriculture receipts are
around Rs. 20.7 crore with a cash profit of around Rs. 6.3 crore. The cash profits are
about 30 percent of the receipts, which is the lowest amongst all the places chosen
for this study. It was also found through s that though productivity is higher than that
of fresh water irrigated crops; the profits are not high due to high-energy costs.
The farmers of Nagor village near Bhuj city have to lift wastewater from Khari River,
which is deep. The wastewater is carried upto 5 km. There are no electrical
connections for pumping this water and diesel pumps are used, which results in highenergy
costs. This is the only area under this Study, where individual farmers
commonly use diesel pumps of 16 hp and 20 hp.
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