Multipurpose Project

Multipurpose River Valley Projects

• The first plan promoted multipurpose projects with big dams on rivers Damodar, Mahanadi and Kosi.
• These projects generally involve construction of big dams on major rivers and their tributaries.
• Helps in controlling the floods and in regulating the water downstream for irrigation from the reservoir purposes.
• Falling water from reservoir is used to promote hydro-electricity which is a clean source of energy
• The aim of these projects other than development of water resources of rivers for irrigation, flood control, power generation, navigation, drinking is to serve an important role in holistic development of regions
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1. Irrigation
• India has a good resource of irrigation both in form of groundwater and surface resources such as rivers.
• India has an irrigational potential of about 94 million hectares.
• A. Means of Irrigation
  • Wells, including tube-wells, canals and tanks are chief means of irrigation in India.
  • Wells use the groundwater resources for irrigation the other two means use of groundwater resources.
  • Advantages of these means in specific type of regions.
  a)Wells
  • Account for more than 40% of the net irrigated area.
  • Under this water is either lifted by animal power or mechanical power.
  • Can be employed successfully in areas of level topography
  • Well irrigation is more important in Great Plains, the delta regions of Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauvery and the weathered areas of the peninsular region in the Narmada and Tapi valleys.
  • Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana are important states where well irrigation is practiced.
  • In Mp, Karnataka, and TN too up to 30% if net irrigated area is irrigated by wells.
  b) Tanks
  • Common source of irrigation in peninsular region; WB, Bihar and Orissa also have several irrigation tanks of the excavated type.
  • This means accounts for 8% of the net irrigated area
  • Can be most successfully used in areas having natural depressions where rain water can be accumulated.
  • It is more common in Karnataka plateau, Eastern MP, Chhattisgarh, interior Orissa, interior AP and TN
  • Land under many tanks has been reclaimed for cultivation and such areas having thick deposits of silt which are fertile for a variety of crops.
  c) Canals
  • Most important among all means of irrigation.
  • Ideal condition for this means to develop includes level land and presence of Perennial River from which the canals can be taken out.
  • Accounts more than 40% of the net. irrigated area
  • About half of the net canal irrigated area lies in UP, Punjab, Haryana and AP.
2. Rain fed Agriculture in India
• Cropping patterns entirely dependent on rainfall which is seasonal, unpredictable and erratic.
• The bulk of crops like rice, jowar, bajra, other millets, pulses, cotton and oilseeds are grown under rainfed conditions.
• From 7th plan onwards high priority is being accorded to the development of dry land/rain-fed farming.
• Main focus of the strategy is to step up and stabilize the production of crops under rain fed conditions.
• Done by adopting and promoting dry-land farming and undertaking the watershed development programs for rain-fed areas
3. Dryland Farming
• Special attention given to the development of dryland agriculture aims at:
• Raising productivity in rain fed areas.
• Reduction in unemployment/under-employment/seasonal employment.
• Reduction in regional disparities in agricultural development. The various aspects of the development strategy adopted for dryland areas are
1. Land Improvement
2. land leveling, land shaping, bunding etc. Ensuring soil moisture
3. soil and moisture conservation measures, crops and cropping patterns suitable for this.
4. Irrigation- construction of water harvesting structures, development and spread of modern techniques like drip irrigation like sprinklers etc. for most optimum used of limited water available.
5. Better and suitable inputs- use of improved drought resistant seeds, fertilizers and implements.
6. Promotion of subsidiary occupation like dryland horticulture, pasture development, forestry to augment fruit, fodder and fuel resources of farming community.
4. Drought Prone Area Programme
• Launched in 1973 with a view of limiting the damage to the rain fed areas due to drought.
• Basic objective is to minimize the adverse effects of drought on the production of crops, livestock and on productivity of land, water and human resources.
• It also aims at promoting the overall economic development and improving the socio-economic conditions of the resource-poor and disadvantaged sections that inhabit the areas covered under the programme.
• The various schemes/activities undertaken under DPAP are:
  Promoting dry land agriculture with suitable cropping patterns on the basis of agro-climatic conditions
  Development and productive use of water resources of the area through micro-watershed development approach.
  Soil and water conservation measures and land improvement measures to check degradation.
  Aforestation including farm industry.
  Livestock development including development of pastures and fodder resources.
  Promotion of allied activities like horticulture, sericulture etc.
5. Desert Development Programme (DDP)
• Launched in 1977-78 is designed to control the process of desertification and restoration of ecological balance in covered areas so as to improve the living conditions of the people inhabiting these areas.
• Covers both hot areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana and the cold desert areas of J&K, HP from 1995-96. Coverage has been extended to few more districts in AP and Karnataka
• It also aims at promoting the overall economic development and improving the socio-economic conditions of the resource-poor and disadvantaged sections that inhabit the areas covered under the programme.
• The main activities undertaken in DDP are:
  1. Sand dune stabilization.
  2. Shelter belt plantation.
  3. Conservation of surface water.
  4. Efficient water resource management.
  5. Aforestation.
  6. Grasslands and pasture development.
  7. Horticulture.
  8. Animal husbandry
6. Drip Irrigation Technique
• Aim is to promote more productive and efficient utilization of the scarce water resource especially in arid and semi-arid and rain-fed areas
• Drip method of irrigation involves frequent slow applications of water at low pressure through a network of pipelines. Water is released near the plant base with the help of emitters or drips.
• Advantages of using this technique
  -It is the perfect conduit for delivery of exact amount of water and nutrients.
  -Its water use efficiency is as high as 95% as compared to only about 50% under conventional
  irrigation system.