January - March 2013 - National Institute of Rural Development

76 Arijit Royincreasing temperature and the decliningamount and reliability of rainfall “ and it is inthis context that “small –scale water harvestingtechniques are being studied afresh in Indiatoday” . He has also pointed out that “Tying ofridges and structures of water harvestingimprove rainfall penetration, increase cropgrowth and decrease soil erosion”. Dikshit, G.S.,Kuppuswamy, G.R. and Mohan, S.K. (1993) haveshown the significance of small reservoirs inthe context of water management practicesin India from ancient to current period andanalysed the structural, financial andinstitutional aspects of small reservoirs. SinghKatar (1994) finds that “tanks are still animportant and the least expensive means ofstoring rain water and using it for supplementalirrigation and other purposes in many parts ofIndia”. He also points out that “ the outcomesand impacts of management of irrigation tankscould be seen in crop pattern, input use, yieldrates, net returns, economic viability of tankirrigation; and some intangible environmentalchanges”. Baumann, P. (1998) has analysed thecontribution of small reservoirs in the contextof Panchayati Raj system in India. Goswami, S.(2006) has put forward an in-depth analysis ofthe practices and significance of tank irrigationin different parts of West Bengal. Nanda, P.,Panda, D.K., and Swain, M. (2008) have shownthe impacts of water harvesting measures interms of cropping pattern and productivity ofcrops, impact on household income andemployment, impact on employmentgeneration and so on in seven villages inDigapahandi block of Ganjam district of Odisha.Pal, R.C. and Prasad, R. (2008) have shown theeffects of water harvesting measures in sixvillages under the Rayachoty block of Kadapadistrict of Andhra Pradesh. The impacts uponthe standard of life including livestock, waterlevel in wells, change in cropping pattern,change in income generation activities,improvement in agriculture etc. are discussed.Although our central aim is to find theeconomic impacts of water harvestingJournal of Rural Development, Vol. 32, No. 1, January - March : 2013structures, we can find the effect of farm sizeon productivity as well. Economic theoriesshow that the effects may be either positiveor negative. Productivity does depend on theexpenditure on inputs which may betraditional (less expensive) as well as modern(more expensive).Traditional inputs includelow yielding seeds, plough and bullock, cowdungand similar organic manure etc. whilethe modern inputs include high-yieldingvariety seeds, pesticides and chemicalfertilisers, tractors, power-tillers, pumpsets etc.Economic theory postulates a positiverelationship between expenditure on inputsand productivity, other things remaining thesame. Here, we are in a position to verify thisrelationship.Impact of local governmentorganisations like panchayat on productivityis expected to be positive. Panchayats providevarious inputs (seeds, fertiliser, irrigation etc.)and extension services (training, warehousing,marketing etc.) which are very much crucialfor higher productivity. Panchayats organisetraining camps and workshops to impart newknowledge to the farmers. They try to spreadawareness regarding the growing need, scopeand mechanisms for water harvesting andwater management. We also examine the roleof panchayat in production and productivityof the farms.This paper, basically, attempts to evaluatethe economic impacts of simple rain-waterand surface water harvesting practices uponagricultural productivity and hence on thestandard of living of the farmers. However, theimpacts of land size, expenditure on inputsand role of panchayat are also taken intoaccount in this model. The economic impactsare evaluated in terms of differences inincome and assets, employment, croppingpattern, production and productivity ofdifferent crops.JRD 2 (1)