AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

IRRIGATION

The different sources of irrigation occupy an important place in the agrarian economy of the district. Lift irrigation from rivers and wells through the installation of oil engines has also benefited agriculture in the district.

As compared to the State average, Akola district has extremely small area under irrigation. The proportion of gross irrigated area to gross cropped area during 1959-60 was only 0.37 per cent against the average of 6.23 per cent for the State. The old Akola District Gazetteer reports that the area under irrigation in 1907-08 was 14.5 thousand acres. The net irrigated area in 1950-51 was 6.1 thousand acres as against 7,000 acres in 1959-60. Thus there had been a substantial reduction in the irrigated area in the last 50 years. Due to the efforts made during the first two Plans, the irrigated area was increased to 7,000 in 1959-60 as compared to that in 1950-51. During the Second Plan period, 200 acres were brought under tank irrigation and additional 700 acres under well irrigation. In the absence of large rivers and tanks, the area brought under irrigation during 1964-65 in the district was only 0.5 per cent of the total land under cultivation.

The main source of irrigation in the district is wells. With the increase in the number of wells, the number of oil engines, has also doubled and the number of electric pumps has increased from 16 to 504 during the decade 1951-61. In 1964-65 the wells accounted for 95 per cent of the net area under irrigation. In respect of irrigation facilities, the district ranked 7th in the division in 1964-65. The highest percentage of net irrigated area to net area sown was found in Washim tahsil during the same year, as could be seen from the following statement:—

The overall percentage of gross irrigated area to net irrigated area in the district in 1964-65 was 100.9. The net irrigated area in the same period showed an increase of 65 per cent over that in 1960-61.

The following tables show the position of sources of water supply and irrigated area under food and non-food crops in each tahsil of the district.

TABLE No. 26

Sources of Water supply and Area Irrigated there from in Akola District in 1961-62, 1965-66 and 1967-68.

(Area in hectares)

continued..

*Tahsilwise area irrigated more than once in 1965-66 was as under:—Akola 40, Akot 40, Balapur 81, Washim 81, Mangrulpir 56 and Murtizapur 36 hectares

TABLE No. 27

Area Under Food and Non-food Crops, Irrigated in Akola District in 1961-62, 1965-66, 1970-71 and 1971-72

(Area in hectares)

Note:— Only principal crops have been given.

There is only one major irrigation work taken up in the district, while there are a few medium irrigation works, bandharas and tanks providing irrigation. The brief account of each one of them is given below:

Katepurna River Project: The Major irrigation project, across the river Katepurna, is situated near the village Mahan, 20 miles away from Akola on Akola--Mangrulpir road in Akola tahsil. The project on completion would cater to the irrigation needs of two tahsils viz.. Akola and Murtizapur of the district. Besides, the project also contemplates drinking water supply to Akola town.

The project was originally administratively approved for Rs. 2.33 crores. However as per revised estimate, the cost is likely to be in the vicinity of Rs. 4.51 crores. The work of construction on the project was commenced in 1961, and was expected to be completed by the end of June 1971. On completion, the project would irrigate 20,570 acres of the land in the two tahsils referred to above. The scheme envisages construction of an earthen dam 6,000 feet long with a central masonry (gated) spillway in gorge portion. The total length of the main canal and the branch canal is 22 miles.

Ekburji Tank Project : The project was originally undertaken in the beginning of 1958, but consequent on the reorganisation of States, the project was reviewed and a revised estimate amounting to Rs. 42.99 lakhs was administratively approved by the then Bombay Government in 1959. The work was taken up for execution in 1960. Most of the work was completed in the year 1967 and considering the total expenditure over that approved, the Government of Maharashtra accorded revised administrative approval to Rs. 51.34 lakhs.

The project is one of the medium projects taken up during the Second Five Year Plan as a source of irrigation water for the agriculturists and serves Washim tahsil of Akola district. This is the first pilot project in the district.

The project envisaged construction of an earthen dam of 2,722 feet in length to harness a catchment area of 29.02 square miles on the Chandrabhaga river in the Washim tahsii of the district. The river has its source in Washim tahsil and flows towards south and joins the Penganga river, a tributary of Godawari, 10 miles downstream of the Ekburji darn. The dam impounds a storage of 498.92 m. cft. [m. cft. =million cubir feet.] of water. The area submerged under the lake is 633.25 acres (out of which 246.36 acres is forest land and Government land) including one village viz., Ekburji having a population of 149 souls. The dam site is 10 km. to the south-west of Washim and can be approached by road. It is also approachable from Kekat Umra railway station (2 km. from dam site) situated on Khandwa-Hingoli metre gauge line. The dam is 2,722 feet in length and has a maximum height of 79 feet above the lowest river bed. The total earth work involved for the construction of the dam is 18 m. cft. The gross storage of the reservoir is 498.92 m. cft. and live storage is 422.18 m. cft. with dead storage of 76.11 m. cft. A waste weir 456 feet in length is provided mostly in the rocky strata to discharge a maximum flood of 35,350 cusecs on the right flank of the dam.

To irrigate an area of 6,000 acres from 10 villages, two canals viz-, the right bank canal and the left bank canal have been provided. The left bank canal takes off directly from the dam to irrigate an area of 1,700 acres. The total length of the canal is 10½ miles. The outlet comprises a sliding gate with a 24" diameter conduit with 192 feet in length. The discharge of this outlet is 33 cusecs. The irrigation on this canal is reduced as water has to be kept reserved for water supply to Washim town. The right bank canal, on the other hand, takes off directly from the right flank to irrigate an area of 4,300 acres. The total canal length is 12¾ miles. The outlet comprises a sliding gate with a conduit of two pipes having a diameter of 24" and 18" (above that) with a barrel length of 192 feet to let out a discharge of 55 cusecs. The canal has to cross the waste weir channel between ch. 12.00 to 16.00 in the first mile of this canal where a canal syphon has been provided.

The project has been completed at a total cost of Rs. 51.38 lakhs, which gives an average of Rs. 860 per acre of area irrigated and Rs. 12,150 per m. cft. of storage.

Area irrigated since the completion of the project is shown in the following statement:

Projected village-wise area to be irrigated on both the canals is as under: —

Crop-wise area irrigated is shown in the following statement.

A = Acres G — Gunthas

Nirguna River Project: The project envisages construction of an earthen dam across river Nirguna, near village Chondi with an ungated spillway on the right flank, to impound 1109.88 in. cft. of gross storage. The right bank canal measuring 39 km. in length will take off directly from the dam to irrigate an area of 14,133 acres out of cultivable command area of 21,023 acres from the Baiapur tahsil of the district. The length of the dam is 1,777 metres and the height 25.68 metres with an ungated spillway of 214 metres in length to discharge 59,270 cusees of flood water. The catchment area is 195.55 square km. The dam site is approachable by an approach road from Medshi about 9.35 km. to the west. The work was taken up in the year 1968 and the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 1973. The total cost estimated at Rs. 189.78 lakhs gives a percentage of Rs. 1,342 per irrigated acre.

Morna Project : The Morna project is one of the biggest medium irrigation schemes in Akola district. On completion of this scheme the irrigation facilities will be available for 13,000 acres of land in Akola and Balapur tahsils.

The darn site for the reservoir is located near village Kakardari about 27 miles from Akola. The site is about 6 miles from Patur and the approach road for the site takes off from Patur on the Akola-Washim road. The dam has a length of 2,300 feet with a side channel spillway of 425 feet in length. It has a maximum height of 95 feet above the river bed level. The earthwork involved in the construction is of the order of 40 in. cft. The side channel spillway involves the masonry and concrete work of about 16,000 brass. The outlet for letting out the water into the river is located in the side channel spillway and will have 2 gates of 4'x 4' size.

The water spread of the lake would be about 1.30 square miles. The lake will impound a maximum storage of 1,570 m. cft. of water Two villages viz., Kakardari and Kosgaon are submerged due to the formation of reservoir and have been already re-settled near village Nimbi-

The canals start from the pick-up-weir near village Warkhed, 7 miles downstream of the darn. The main canal is 10 miles in length. It crosses the Akola-Washim road in 18th kilometre, the Nagpur-Bombay National Highway in 23rd kilometre and the broad gauge railway line at its end. A number of distributaries will take off from the main canal to irrigate 13,000 acres of area m 18 villages from Akola and Baiapur tahsils. The crop pattern adopted for the project envisages 8 per cent of other perennials, 10 per cent of E. L. S. cotton, 6 per cent of chillis, 12 per cent of paddy, 10 per cent of groundnut and 24 per cent of wheat.

The project is estimated to cost Rs. 173 lakhs, out of which the work costing about Rs. 125 lakhs has already been completed. The construction of the earthen dam was completed in June 1969. The work of side channel spillway is partially completed to a height of about 35 feet above the river bed. The water stored in the dam is to the extent of 215 m. cft. This can be utilised for 566 acres of irrigation in the rabi season. The pick-up-weir at Warkhed is completed and the canal work upto 11 km has also been completed.

Giroli Project: This project is situated near village Giroli, 13 miles from Mangrulpir on Mangrulpir Manora road in Mangrulpir tahsil.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 31.80 lakhs. The work on the project was commenced in November 1968, and was expected to be completed by June 1972. The project contemplates irrigation of 1,700 acres of mixed crop-pattern in Mangrulpir tahsil only.

The project envisages construction of an earthen dam 1,600 feet long with a side channel waste-weir. At present, the work on both, the dam and the canal is in initial stage. The total length of the canal and the distributaries is 10 miles.

Borala Tank Project : The project envisages the construction of an earthen dam across the local nalla near village Borala in Washim tahsil with an ungated spillway on right side to impound a gross storage of 78.21 m. cft. to irrigate an area of 1,000 acres m Washim tahsil, out of the gross command area of 2,000 acres.

The dam has a length of 525 m. and is 17.12 m. in height with a catchment area of 13 sq miles. A waste-weir bar, 110 m. in length is provided on the right flank to discharge flood water of 20.180 cusecs. The main canal of 11 km. takes off from the dam and will irrigate 1,000 acres of land from Washim tahsil. The work of the dam was completed in June 1969 and the work of the canal is in progress. The total cost is put at 14.93 lakhs. The average cost per m. cft. is Rs. 19, 016 as against Rs. 1,494 as cost per acre. The approved crop pattern for the project is as under.

The cost of the scheme is as under:

Borwa Tank Project: This is an earthen darn constructed across a nalla near village Borwa in Mangrulpir tahsil to impound 71.18 m. cft. of gross storage and to irrigate 1096 acres of land of four villages viz., Borwa, Karu, Talab and Ramtirth in Mangrulpir tahsil. The darn site is situated near village Borwa, 6 miles north-east of Manora in Mangrulpir tahsil. The work is now in progress. The total estimated cost is Rs. 12,75,160 and the average cost per acre will be Rs. 1,164.

The dam is 1,000 feet in length and 52 feet in height. The top width of the dam is 12 feet and that at the bottom is 271 feet-A waste weir of 200 feet has been provided on the left flank Jo discharge 8,315 cusecs of flood water. The main canal of about 3 miles will take off directly from the dam to irrigate an area of 1,100 acres. The gross command area is fixed at 2,000 acres of land The approved crop pattern of the project is as follows:—

Shirputy Tank Project: The Project envisages construction of an earthen dam across a nalla near the village Shirpur. to impound a gross storage of 78.605 m. cft. to irrigate 1,100 acres of land in the Washim tahsil. The darn is 355 feet in length and 19.45 m. in height, with a 233 feet spillway on the right side to discharge 16,830 acres of flood water. The right bank main canal of about 4.5 miles will directly take off from the dam to irrigate 1,100 acres out of a gross command area of 1,960 acres of land from Washim tahsil.

The work was started in 1969 and the dam was to be completed by June 1971. The total estimated cost of the dam was Rs. 19,28,481.

The proposed crop pattern under this project is as follows:

Kawtha Bandhara : The scheme comprises a masonry bandharu across a nalla near village Kawtha in Washim tahsil to irrigate an area of 288 acres of land during the rabi season. The work was started in May 1966 and completed in March 1968. The bandhara is 58 m. in length and 3.6 m. in height. A right bank canal of 3.2 km. takes off from the bandhara. The total cost of the bandhara is Rs. 1,09,216, giving an average cost per acre of Rs. 372. The catchment area is 16-30 sq. miles. The cropwise area irrigated during the year 1968-69 was as under:

Adoli Bandhara : The scheme, situated near village Adoli in Washim tahsil, comprises a masonry outlet on the left side of the nalla with a canal system to irrigate an area of 300 acres by providing an earthen bund across the nalla. The work of the scheme was started in January 1966 and completed in 1967. The catchment area of the bandhara is 7.73 sq. miles. The length of the bandhara is 40 metres, while the length of canal is 4576 metres The total cost of the scheme was Rs. 6.73 lakhs, the cost per acre of irrigated area being Rs. 246.

The area irrigated during the years 1907-68 and 1968-69 was as under:

Dhanora Bandhara : The project is situated near village Dhanora in Murtizapur tahsil. It was commenced in 1966 and was completed in 1968. The cost of this project was Rs. 1.26 lakhs, the cost per acre of irrigated area being Rs. 342. The project commands an area of 800 acres with an irrigable capacity of 488 acres. The length of the bandhara is 101 metres and it is 2.5 metres in height. The length of the left bank canal is 4.7 km.

The crop-wise area irrigated during 1968-69 was as under:

Wapti Kupti Bandhara : The project is situated near village Wapti-Kupti. The work on the project was started in 1966 and completed in 1908. The total cost of the scheme was Rs. 1.10 lakhs. The project consists of a bandhara of a length of 60 metres with a Height of 4.5 metres. The length of right bank canal is 2.7 km. The gross area under command is 500 acres with an irrigation potential of 300 acres. The crop-wise area ungated during 1968-69 was as under:--

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