AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

IRRIGATION

Irrigation primarily aims at making good the deficiencies of rainfall, bringing more land under the plough, which remained uncultivated for want of water, and increasing the double cropped area. In brief, the chief object of irrigation is to augment farm produce. The total cropped area in the district stood at 687913.155 hectares (16,98,551 acres) in 1960-61 which included 4477.680 hectares (11,056 acres) of land sown more than once. Net area irrigated by different sources of irrigation amounted to 7063.200 hectares (17,440 acres). Thus the irrigated area hardly formed a little over one per cent of both the gross cropped area and the net area sown viz., 683435.475 hectares (16,87,495 acres). This shows that irrigation facilities throughout the district were not considered adequate. Tables No. 25 and No. 26 furnish relevant data regarding the sources of water-supply and the net area irrigated by them.

TABLE No. 25

SOURCES OK WATER-SUPPLY (TALUKA-WISE)-AMRAVATI DISTRICT, 1960-61

TABLE No. 26

NET AREA IRRIGATED IN AMRAVATI DISTRICT, 1960-61

(Area in hectares)*

There was no major irrigation work taken up in the district. Only minor irrigation works, bandharas and tanks provided irrigation. Brief account or each one of them is given below.

IRRIGATION. Bandharas.

Phakal Nala Anicut: This is an anicut on Phakal nala, four miles from Achalpur on Achalpur-Akot road. It was completed in 1952 as a small village scheme under Grow-More-Food Campaign. The cost of construction amounted to Rs. 23,532. It commands an area of 152.685 hectares (377 acres) whereas the catchment area on anicut site is about 36.260 km.² (14 square miles). It has canals on the left hank having total length of 101 chains, 1.038 km. (5 furlongs and 11 yards). The actual irrigation from the scheme commenced in 1956-57. The main crop taken in lands irrigated by this anicut is cotton, though chillis and other garden crops are also grown.

Pat nala anicut: This work is a diversion scheme. It was taken up as a small village scheme under Grow-More-Food Campaign in 1954, and completed during the same year. The site of the work is 11.265 km. (seven miles) from Morshi near village Bhiva Bundi in Morshi taluka. The anicut with a catchment area of 9.065 km.² (3.50 square miles) was constructed at a cost of Rs. 22,206. Irrigation potential of this anicut is 157.827 hectares (390 acres). In 1955-56 it irrigated an area of 24.907 hectares (61.5 acres).

Pak Nala Anicut: The site of the anicut is near Hiwerkhed, a village 12.88 km. (eight miles) from Morshi town in Morshi taluka. The water of a nala is diverted to canal by constructing masonry bund. This was taken up as a part of the Grow More Food Campaign. It was completed in 1956-57 at a cost of Rs. 41,275. Its catchment area on the site is 78.580 km.² (30.34 square miles), irrigation potential 192.375 hectares (475 acres) and area commanded, 321.570 hectares (794 acres). The area of different crops irrigated by it varied from 130.126 hectares (321.3 acres) in 1957-58 to 53.582 hectares (132.3 acres) in 1960-61.

This work is in charge of Irrigation Department.

Jalamziri Nala: This is an anicut constructed on Jatamziri Nala near Warud. It is a masonry construction with a canal for diverting water from the nala. The work was completed in 1956-57 at a cost of Rs. 15,000. The length of the canal is 22 chains 221.284 metres (one furlong and 22 yards). Its irrigation potential as well as the area commanded by it is 40.500 hectares (100 acres). Area irrigated by it varied between 4.455 hectares (11 acres) in 1956-57 and 45.765 hectares (113 acres) in 1958-59.

This work is under charge of the Revenue Department, since November 1959.

Damayanti Nala: This is situated at a distance of 4.83 km. (three miles) from Morshi town in Morshi taluka. It was constructed in 1956-57 by Morshi Development Block with its own funds. The total cost of construction amounted to Rs. 13,532. The length of the canal is 32.50 chains, 326.897 metres (one and a half furlongs and 27¹/2 yards). Its command- ed area is 40.500 hectares (100 acres). This work was handed over in November 1959 to the Revenue Department and is in charge of Morshi Block Development Office. In 1958-59, it irrigated an area of 25.515 hectares (63 acres).

No irrigation was reported during 1959-60 and 1960-61.

Bhimdi Bandhara: The site is situated near village Bhimdi 9.66 km. (six miles) to the north-west of Warud town in Morshi taluka. It is a masonry bandhara. Its estimated cost was Rs. 21,197. It was executed with District Development Board Funds. Length of the bandhara is 32.940 metres (108 feet) and that of canal is 12 chains, 120.780 metres (132 yards). Area commanded by the work is 60.750 hectares (150 acres). Irrigation from this bandhara commenced in the rabi season of 1961-62.

Kamlapur Bandhara: This is situated near village Kamla-pur, at mile number 17/3 of Rithpur-Tivsa road in Morshi taluka. It is a masonry bandhara having a length of 20.435 metres (67 feet). Length of the canal is 35 chains, 331.927 metres (one furlong and 143 yards). The estimated cost of the scheme was Rs. 24,582. It commands an area of 101.250 hectares (250 acres).

Bandhara on Chandrabhaga River: The site of the anicut is near village Deogaon, about 16.10 km. (10 miles) from Achalpur town. The estimated cost of the work was Rs. 89,830. It is a masonry bandhara having a total length of 70.150 metres (230 feet). The length of the canal is 2.479 km. (1.54 miles). The catchment area of the work is 112.975 km.² (43.62 square miles). Commanded area of the work is 202.500 hectares (500 acres).

Tanks.

There were two tanks, Dabheri tank and Kurha tank, a brief account of which is given below.

Dabheri Tank: This village tank is near village Dabheri in Morshi taluka. No details are available regarding its cost of construction. It has an earthen dam and a canal for irrigation. The total length of the canal is 93 chains, 935.431 metres (four furlongs and 143 yards). Water discharging capacity of the canal is two cusecs. The tank commands an area of 243.000 hectares (600 acres). Its catchment area is 3.030 km.² (1.17 square miles). In 1955-56 it irrigated only 4 hectares (10 acres) of land.

Kurha Tank: This tank is situated at about 16.093 km. (10 miles) from village Tivsa on Amravati-Nagpur road. It is near village Kurha in Chandur Railway taluka. It was completed in 1952-53, when scarcity conditions were declared in the district, at a cost of Rs. 32,171. The work comprises an earthen dam and a canal. Commanded area of the tank is 36.450 hectares (90 acres). Its catchment area is 0.777 km.². (0.30 square mile). No irrigation is possible from the tank because it suffers from heavy leakages. However, it serves as a percolation tank.

The following statement indicates water rates charged for irrigation of various crops from Phakal Nala Anicut, Pat Nala Anicut, Dabheri Tank and Kurha Tank.

Rates applicable to lands irrigated in Achalpur taluka only. The water rates included in the Statement are as per old Madhya Pradesh Government circulars.

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