Vinod M Bothale

Government of India, spends millions of rupees on the development of irrigation projects throughout the country. These irrigated croplands, though limited to about 30 percent of the gross cropped area, contribute more than 50 percent of the total agricultural production.This signifies that scientific management of irrigation water and irrigated croplands has emerged in a big way. There is an increase in cropping intensity and production.

But there are some negative consequences of irrigation also. As per published reports considerable areas in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat Haryana and few other states, twin problems of waterlogging and salinity is alarming. If this remains unnoticed over the years a large area will be turned into barren areas. In this context these reports have been prepared.

This collection of reports by Central Water Commission provides a detailed inventory about the spatial extent and severity of waterlogging and salinity/alkalinity problem in the command areas of all major and medium irrigation projects in the country. It is prepared with a motive that preventive and ameliorative measures can be taken to arrest degradation of productive agricultural lands.

This article by Rajashree V Bothale deals with the identification of suitable sites for water harvesting structures in Upper Betwa watershed through WARIS. The present study uses decision support system WARIS for identification of suitable sites for water harvesting structures.