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Irrigated area (ha)
Figure 14. Main land uses percentages
based on remotely-sensed data
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
10%
Forest
Irrigated
Rainfed arable
Fallow
Wasteland
Tanks/rivers
Urban
6%
Kalyandurg
4%
Dhone
Dhone
60%
Dhone
3% 2%
5%
1%
0%
64%
20%
Figure 15. Comparison of irrigation statistics
from different sources
5%
12%
Kalyandurg
8%
Figures 13 and 14 present remotely-sensed
information on current land uses in the two
study mandals. There are a number of important
points that relate to this information. Firstly, the
main land use in both mandals is currently
rainfed arable cropping. The precise area
cropped and the cropping system varies from
year to year in direct response to the onset of the
south-west monsoon and the subsequent rainfall
pattern. However, in most years, only one crop
can be grown. Groundnut or a groundnut
intercrop system is preferred. Secondly, within
living memory, there has been a major decline in
forested areas in both mandals and in the
biodiversity associated with undisturbed forest.
Currently, Dhone has a relatively larger area
than Kalyandurg under Forest Department
responsibility. In both mandals, forested areas
are generally degraded and devoid of vegetation
other than scrub. Also in both mandals, good
quality forested land, other than land under
Forest Department control, has become heavily
encroached in recent years. Participatory
assessments indicated that fuel wood shortages
have also increased during recent years. Thirdly,
substantial areas of fallow and waste land exist in
both mandals.
During the last 10-15 years there has been a
substantial increase in groundwater-based
irrigation in both mandals. According to
remotely-sensed information, 8 and 12% of the
net land area of Dhone and Kalyandurg
respectively was under multi-cropped irrigation
during the 2000-2001 crop season. These
figures were supported by independent estimates
based on well survey data collected by the
Andhra Pradesh Groundwater Department as
part of this Water Audit. However, the “official”
irrigation statistics supplied by the Mandal
Records Office (i.e. the Revenue Dept) and the
Departmentof Agriculture (see Figure 15)
suggested that the total net irrigated area is
much smaller. During discussions involving
district-level specialists and line department
staff, it became clear that gross under-reporting
of “official” irrigation statistics is common
knowledge (see Box 7a). The lack of faith in
irrigation statistics at the district level did not
appear to be reflected at the state level where
“official” irrigation statistics are used to
underpin a whole range of important policyrelated
decisions.
AP Revenue Department NRSA APGWD/CSWCRTI
36