Irrigation

Featured Articles
August 10, 2022
Taming water - Irrigation and drought protection in colonial India and the present
The irrigation at all costs mindset and narrow policies for drought protection during the colonial rule ignored rainfed agriculture and local practices that sustained agriculture in the Bombay Deccan. This continues even today.
Recurrent droughts and the struggle for survival (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons):
August 9, 2022
MGNREGS becoming the quintessential scheme for tribal agriculture
Ensuring irrigation through farm ponds in tribal Chhattisgarh
Many tribal farmers opted for individual farm ponds under MGNREGA ensuring protective irrigation. (Image: Meenakshi Singh)
April 8, 2022
Water for all, still a dream?
Lack of governance and six toothless irrigation acts have done very little to change the water situation on the ground in Maharashtra, argues water expert Pradeep Purandare.
Peanut irrigation in India (Image Source: Seratobikiba via Wikimedia Commons)
March 11, 2022
Making every drop count: Micro-irrigation for tribal farmers of Gujarat
Subsidies enable tribal farmers to adopt micro-irrigation systems providing them assured irrigation
A key mitigation strategy to deal with water scarcity due to climate change is on-farm management of water using techniques like micro-irrigation (Image: India Water Portal Flickr)
September 17, 2021
Villagers’ shramdaan revives canal, enhances area under cultivation
Benefits of well-managed commons on livelihoods
Collective efforts revived the canal structure of Bichhiya dam bringing water to the village (Image: Foundation for Ecological Security)
August 29, 2021
Diversion-based irrigation systems
Experience of Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) in revitalizing the traditional phad irrigation system in hilly tribal villages of Western Madhya Pradesh
Community members contribute voluntary labour required for laying the pipeline network and tank construction (Image: Anjali Aggarwal)
Enhancing livelihoods through diversion-based irrigation (DBI) in Odisha: An AJSA initiative
To combat water scarcity and socio-economic deprivation through the effective use of water resources in Dudkarenga and Barbandha villages in Odisha, AJSA launched a Diversion Based Irrigation(DBI) initiative in kalahandi District of Odisha,to bring sustainable livelihood and address food security and climate justice in M.Rampur block of Kalahandi.
Now the DBI systems are providing irrigation to the earlier unirrigated area’s and has become the main source of livelihood to generation of people who have had land. It is also providing wage employment to the landless also.
AJSA Orissa
Posted on 14 Feb, 2013 10:58 PM

Courtesy: Anchalika Jana Seva Anusthan (AJSA), Odisha


Map of AJSA area of operation in Odisha

A map showing AJSA's area of operation in Odisha

To combat water scarcity and socio-economic deprivation through the effective use of water resources in Dudkarenga and Barbandha villages in Odisha, AJSA launched a Diversion Based Irrigation(DBI) initiative in kalahandi District of Odisha,to bring sustainable livelihood and address food security and climate justice in M.Rampur block of Kalahandi.

Now the DBI systems are providing irrigation to the earlier unirrigated area’s and has become the main source of livelihood to generation of people who have had land.  It is also providing wage employment to the landless also.

Punjab ranks highest in the country, in level of water pollution caused by industries - Roundup of the week’s news (January 28 - February 3, 2013)
The weekly headlines include Punjab being ranked as the worst performing state in water pollution, an analysis of the MGNREGS, the zero rejection state of the MoEF, TOI social impact awardees and decision of the apex court on the ongoing water feud between Tamil Nadu & Karnataka states.
sabitakaushal
Posted on 04 Feb, 2013 05:20 PM

Water pollution by industries: Punjab ranks highest
Ahar pynes, traditional flood water harvesting systems can help revive agriculture in south Bihar
An in depth account of the indigenous floodwater harvesting system prevalent in South Bihar and the need for other agencies to undertake its renovation & management.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 26 Jan, 2013 07:48 PM

Ahar pynes are traditional floodwater harvesting systems indigenous to South Bihar [1], and have been the most important source of irrigation in this region.

Ahars are reservoirs with embankments on three sides and are built at the end of drainage lines such as rivulets or artificial works like pynes. Pynes are diversion channels led off from the river for irrigation purposes and for impounding water in the ahars. It is mostly to the credit of these that paddy cultivation has been possible in this otherwise relatively low rainfall area, when compared to North Bihar. The system attained its highest development in the district of Gaya [2].

This article provides an account of the ahar-pyne systems of South Bihar and the need to build organizational and institutional capacities of civil society and government agencies to undertake ahar pyne renovation and management.

Ahar pyne

Ahar Pyne system in Gaya, South Bihar

Image courtesy: Hindi Water Portal

Wastewater irrigation in Hubli–Dharwad, Karnataka, enables farmers to diversify their cropping practices - A paper in the Environment and Urbanisation Journal
Farmers utilise the permanent streams of sewage-contaminated wastewater emanating from the twin city of Hubli–Dharwad to their advantage. This paper considers the effects of the availability of this perennial water resource and its effects upon livelihood practices of farmers and the implications for health.
Andrew Bradford
Robert Brook and C S Hunshal
Posted on 26 Jan, 2013 06:47 PM

This paper 'Wastewater irrigation in Hubli–Dharwad, India: I
Water: Towards a paradigm shift in the Twelfth Plan - A paper by Mihir Shah in the EPW
In this paper Dr Mihir Shah speaks on the need for this change, the process followed, the main features of this proposed change and the way forward from here.
Mihir Shah
Posted on 22 Jan, 2013 10:37 AM

A fundamental change in the principles, approach and strategies of water management in India has been proposed in the Twelfth Plan

Why is this paradigm shift needed ?
Draft report on the exploratory study on wastewater irrigation in Gujarat by People in Centre Consulting- e-disha newsletter for January 2013 from Consortium for DEWATS Dissemination Society (CDD)
Fact sheet on Community Based Sanitation DEWATS in Salokha Park, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and basic concept of processing of organic solid waste through composting.
e-Disha
Posted on 18 Jan, 2013 02:52 PM

Article and Image Courtesy:  Consortium for DEWATS Dissemination Society

 Consortium for DEWATS Dissemination Society (CDD)

Moving from paddy and sugarcane to less water-intensive crops such as oilseeds, pulses and millets can help resolve the Cauvery water dispute
What happens when two or more states are dependent on same water resource for agricultural purposes ? Do the states compete for the resource or are their needs sufficiently different from each other? What are the consequences of the competition for this precious resource?
Dr. B.R. Hegde
Posted on 14 Jan, 2013 12:10 AM

What happens when two or more states are dependent on same water resource for agricultural purposes ? Do the states compete for the resource or are their needs sufficiently different from each other? What are the consequences of the competition for this precious resource?

This article sheds light on the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, for sharing Cauvery river water. The ongoing tussle between the two states has seen a lot of unrest amongst farmers in  form of dharnas, protests, rail roko and non-cooperation by citizens, and disagreement with the agreements made by their respective governments and unending negotiations by governments involved, to come to a mutually agreeable decision.

Mobiles come to the aid of farmers in Maharashtra, and help give locale-specific agro-advisories
Farmers in Maharashtra now receive automatic SMSes giving them weather information and advice about irrigation, pest control, fertiliser dosage etc, thanks to some amazing software developed by WOTR (Watershed Organisation Trust).
Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)
Posted on 12 Jan, 2013 03:56 PM

WOTR
Traditional diversion-based phad irrigation systems help mitigate risk of crop failure in the drought-prone farmer suicide belt of Vidarbha, Maharashtra
Communities have across diverse ecological and sociopolitical contexts devised myriad ways over time to harvest and manage water in order to sustain their lives and practise agriculture.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 11 Jan, 2013 11:56 AM

Many of these systems (1) continue to function and are often more sustainable, cost-effective and successfully managed by local institutions. Phads are one such community-based and managed diversion irrigation management system (2) prevailing in the north-western part of Maharashtra and date back to the early 16th century as per historical accounts. The system is prevalent in the Tapi basin on rivers the Panjhra, Mosam and Aram in Dhule and Nashik districts (3).

Phads or diversion-based irrigation systems, are being revived and promoted in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra by Dilasa, a Yavatmal-based voluntary development organisation (Video courtesy: Dilasa)

Punjab chief minister objects to draft national water policy - Roundup of the week's news (December 31 – January 6, 2013)
Punjab chief minister objects to draft national water policy - Roundup of the week's news (December 31 – January 6, 2013)
City Air News
The Economic Times
newkerala
The Hindu Business Line
India Water Review
Sustainability Outlook
The New Indian Express
Posted on 08 Jan, 2013 08:03 AM

Objection raised to National water Policy
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