AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

IRRIGATION

According to the agricultural returns for 1906-07, the total area under irrigation in the district amounted to 50,109.434 hectares (1,23,823 acres) of which 47,914.822 hectares (1,18,400 acres) were irrigated from tanks. Prior to the famine of 1900, the area under irrigation varied from 60,702.900 to 64,149.760 hectares (1,50,000 to 1,60,000 acres), but that famine threw a vast quantity of land under insufficiently stable irrigation out of cultivation. Since 1902, however, when the irrigated area stood at less than 44,515.460 hectares (1,10,000 acres) there was a fairly steady recovery and more area was brought under irrigation.

The chief sources of irrigation, were the large lakes usually known as tanks, and the ponds known as boris. In 1906-07, there were about 1,500 large tanks and some 4,000 boris in the district. The best tanks in the district were usually found at the base of the hills in the Garbori pargana, and in the adjoining tracts of the Chandrapur and Warora tahsils; Ghot, Rajgarh and Amgaon had also several very fine tanks. In Garbori almost every village had a large high level tank capable of irrigating an area up to 121.406 hectares (300 acres) and this pargana at that time was so studded with these reservoirs that it was called the ' Lake District' of Chandrapur. As far as irrigation was concerned Gunjewahi was the best protected pargana, Mul, Keljhar, Talodhi, Garbori, Ghot and Wairagarh following in that order. Almost all the tanks in the district except those in Sironcha tahsil were fully utilised for irrigation purposes. Most of them were built during the reign of Gond kings who, under the system of tukum grants, allowed each builder of a tank to hold the land irrigated by that tank rent-free for a term of years. The Sironcha tahsil once had a number of good tanks, but most of them were neglected and ultimately became useless for irrigation purpose.

Most of the tanks in the district were constructed by the Kohlis, a caste apparently of Dravidian origin and parhaps akin to the Maria Gonds. As the builders of tanks the Kohlis were then without equals in the district. Although they succeeded in irrigating land from those tanks they could not make provisions of good waste weirs. However, in those days the Kohli malguzars were more alert than the Brahman malguzars in keeping then tanks in effective working order and good cultivators of rice and cane. The Kohlis also exhibited a wonderful skill in arranging distributive channels and taking out levels. But it was somewhat curious that only a small portion of the men who had unparalleled proficiency in the construction of the tanks were rewarded with privileged tenure.

Wells formed the next important sources of irrigation. In 1906-07, the area irrigated from wells amounted to 737.742 hectares (1,823 acres). The chief among the crops irrigated was the motasthal sugarcane crop. The leather mot worked by bullocks, the pole-lift and the hand-lift were the chief means employed for raising water from wells. Sironcha tahsil was particularly the  home of this type of irrigation.

The remaining area of 1,456.870 hectares (3,600 acres) in the district was irrigated by gata cultivation and perennial springs. The gata system of cultivation was mostly prevalent in Brahmapuri areas. Mr. Hemingway's description of the system runs thus: "In the riverain groups of the Brahmapuri tahsil the cultivated lands contain heavy kanhar or bersi kanhar soil; a very large proportion of this is embanked, and in normal years grows both kharif and rabi crops. The kharif crop is invariably light rice, generally sown broadcast; this is reaped in October, and the fields are again ploughed and cropped with gram, linseed and rabi pulses; occasionally wheat is the second crop. This system is quite distinct from the ordinary double-cropping, when pulses are sown as a catch-crop after rice; here, the light rice is a "catch" crop, and the second harvest is the more important; but the profits from the cultivation are high, because the outturn of the rice is heavy, and the expenses of transplantation are saved."

The gata system of cultivation peculiar to the zamindaris, however, differs in details from the one described above. Its description [Central Provinces District Gazetteers, Chanda District, Vol. A, 1909, pp. 170-71.] runs thus: "The essential condition of this is a small valley with gently sloping sides and watered by a stream. Substantial timber dams are built across the stream at intervals during the hot weather, and are continued on either wing by embankments of earth until they almost but not quite merge into the rising sides of the valley. A series of perhaps twenty such gatas may be constructed one below the other. When the rains come, a large shallow basin of water is dammed up above each gata, superfluous water being passed on to those below it by the escape passages left at the end of either wing or else casting over the top of the dam. Rice is planted in the shallow water thus held up, the irrigated area thus being above, not below, the dam. "

The perennial springs were eagerly seized upon by the Maria and guided in to small, reservoirs for the purposes of his favourite jhilan cultivation. The Sironcha tahsil, including the Ahiri zamindari. and the vicinity of the Mul hills were the chief localities in which these perennial springs occurred.

State Irrigation.

The active history of Government enterprise in irrigation commenced, in respect of the district, with the inquiries made in 1901-02 by the Irrigation Commission. In May 1902 the irrigation circle was formed and Chandrapur was then included in the Wainganga Independent Executive Charge having its headquarters at Nagpur. Tanks at Tekri and Saighata were immediately taken in hand as small contract test-works for local labour, and drew well. The big Asola-Mendha scheme for which the original estimate was 4.81 lakhs was sanctioned by the then Government of India and put in hand shortly afterwards. In September 1903, owing to the increasing burden of work, the South Wainganga Independent Sub-Division was formed and put in charge of an Assistant Engineer with headquarters at Chandrapur, but the charge continued to grow in importance and in December 1905 it was constituted as a separate division under the name of the Mul Irrigation Division.

In the beginning the irrigation was confined to tank work. The progress on major works was then impeded by scarcity of labour, particularly after the commencement of construction operations on the Gondia-Chandrapur Railway, and also by the difficulty of securing contractors who would carry out the work satisfactorily. The attention was, therefore, concentrated on the Asola-Mendha project. The revised estimate of this project amounted to Rs. 10.38 lakhs, and up to the end of February 1908 work of the value of Rs. 3.16 lakhs had been completed. It was calculated that the tank when completed would irrigate an area of 8,093.720 hectares (20,000 acres), and command an area of 16,187.440 hectares (40,000 acres), the water spread area would be 18.907 km² (7.3 sq. miles) and would submerge seven villages, while the distributaries would extend the whole length of the doab between the Wainganga and Andhari rivers. The only other major works were Ghorajhari and Khairi. Ghorajhari was expected to cost Rs. 8.33 lakhs, to irrigate 10,521.836 hectares (26,000 acres), and command 16,066.034 hectares (39,700 acres). Till 1909 the work of the value of Rs. 1.15 lakhs was completed. Khairi was a smaller work costing about Rs. 1.17 lakhs. It was expected to irrigate 809.372 hectares (2,000 acres) and command 1,031.949 hectares (2,550 acres). Up to the end of February 1908, Rs. 15,700 were spent on this work. The other major projects which were under preparation or revision during 1908-09 were Naleshwar, Katwan, Bhainskhandi, Kasarla, Bunder, Metapar, and Mohali Mokasa. The estimates for Naleshwar and Katwan were Rs. 5.62 lakhs and Rs. 1.24 lakhs, respectively; the former was to protect 3,035.145 hectares (7,500 acres) and the latter 335.380 hectares (830 acres).

Minor tank works were also undertaken either at the entire cost of Government or else on what is known as the grant-in-aid system. This system was devised by the Hon'ble Mr. Craddock, then Commissioner of the Nagpur Division. Under this system, half the cost of a tank in a malguzari village was to be borne by Government, and half by the malguzar, or by the malguzar and tenants jointly; the part of the cost not borne by Government was to be advanced as a loan recoverable in small installments. Six tanks were completed under this system till 1909. They were Mangrur (Rs. 8,500) [The figures in brackets indicate the total cost of each tank.], Saighata (Rs. 2,000), Meha (Rs. 1,700), Chichli (Rs. 1,400), Chargaon (Rs. 1,000) and Saoli (Rs. 800). Of the minor works then undertaken wholly by the State the following were completed: Pauna (Rs. 5,800), Mahabara (Rs. 8,600), Ghorpeth (Rs. 5,400), Junona (Rs. 14,600), Janala  (Rs. 5,500), Tekri (Rs. 3,250) and Kunghada (Rs. 4,700). The last named was a particularly successful tank. The water dues  amounting to Rs. 1,453 were recovered for the year 1904-05 from 335.889 hectares (830 acres) irrigated by it, and in 1905-06, no less than 388.498 hectares (960 acres) of rice representing a full assessable revenue of Rs. 1,808 were recovered. Other minor irrigation works such as Kachapar (Rs. 9,500), Maregaon (Rs. 14,000). Paunpar (Rs. 33,600), Rudrapur (Rs. 16,000), and Itoli (Rs. 7,000) were practically completed at the end of the irrigation year 1906-07. The total area which all these works, both grant-in-aid and State, as also those completed and those under construction, were expected to irrigate was 3,042.429 hectares (7,518 acres). By the end of that year the total expenditure of the State on the construction of minor irrigation works in the district since the inception of the irrigation programme amounted to Rs. 1,17,650. This expenditure was distributed thus: contributions to grant-in-aid tanks Rs. 5,100, expenditure on State minor works in rayatwari villages Rs. 59,843, on State minor works in malguzari villages Rs. 50,280, and on repairs to tanks Rs. 2,427.

The area irrigated from State minor works amounted to 151.352 hectares (374 acres) in 1904-05, and it gradually increased to 453.248 hectares (1,120 acres) in 1905-06, and to 687.157 hectares (1,698 acres) in 1906-07. A sum of Rs. 1,976 was assessed as water dues in 1905-06 and the whole amount was recovered in that or the following year. In 1906-07 Rs. 2,949 were assessed as water dues, but only Rs. 70 of the current demand were collected. Water was in many cases granted free. The water-rates at which the crops were then assessed in the district were Rs. 7 per acre for sugarcane, Rs. 2 for garden crops, and from Re. 1 to Rs. 1.12 for field crops. The amount of irrigation done from grant-in-aid tanks, however, fell from 696.060 hectares (1,720 acres) in 1904-05 to 230.671 hectares (570 acres) and 124.643 hectares (308 acres) in the two subsequent years.

The irrigation works which were in operation in 1960-61 numbered 22. Of these works 15 works are the same (either with some modifications or repairs) which were completed during the period between 1902 and 1909. As per the irrigation administration report for the year 1960-61, three works viz., Nimbala tank, Sitaram Peth Bandhara and Dina Nadi project were under construction.

The irrigation works at present in the district include major irrigation works, medium irrigation works and minor irrigation works. The only major irrigation work in the district is Dina Nadi Project. Now (1966) there was no medium irrigation scheme under execution in the district. There are, however, three existing medium irrigation tanks. These tanks have been constructed during the pre-plan period and have irrigation potential of more than 4,000 acres.

Dina Nadi Project.

The site of the major project under execution viz., Dina Nadi Project is near the village Regadi in Gadhchiroli tahsil. The project, as administratively approved for Rs. 226.91 lakhs, envisages construction of a 21.031 m. (69 feet) high earthen dam across Dina river and Koka nalla near the village Regadi. The project has a culturable command of 12,488.610 hectares (30.860 acres) of which an area of 12,342.923 hectares (30,500 acres) of mixed crop-pattern has been proposed to be irrigated by the project. The net capacity of the Dina lake would be 1,976 M. cft. whereas the gross capacity would be 2,160 M. cft. Only one canal taking off directly from the reservoir is proposed, which would be 32.187 km. (20 miles) in length, serving 45 villages of the Gadhchiroli tahsil. The construction work of the dam is yet to start.

Medium and Minor irrigation works.

There are three medium and twelve minor irrigation tanks in operation, and as against the 19,128.698 hectares (47,268 acres) of the irrigation potential created under these State tanks, 18,462.872 hectares (45,598 acres) were irrigated in 1964-65. The following table gives details about these tanks: -

TABLE No. 27

STATEMENT GIVING INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATE TANKS IN THE DISTRICT, 1964-65.

*Figures in brackets indicate area in acres.

During the third Five-Year Plan, it was decided to renovate only the ex-malguzari tanks. Accordingly allocation of funds for the same was also earmarked. No new minor irrigation works were, therefore,. proposed to be taken up during the Plan  period.

Existing ex-malguzari tanks.

The total number of ex-malguzari tanks in the district, irrigating more than 101.171 hectares (250 acres) individually and as  such falling in the State sector, is 75. Of these 48 tanks are  being repaired and renovated, the estimated cost being Rs. 89.47 lakhs. Five more such tanks were proposed to be taken up either for repairing or for renovating the same in 1965-66. The following table gives information about the ex-malguzari tanks on which work is at present in progress: -

TABLE No. 28

STATEMENT GIVING THE LIST OF EX-MALGUZARI TANKS UNDER REPAIRS IN CHANDRAPUR DISTRICT, 1964-65.

*Figures in brackets indicate area in acres.

TABLE No. 28 -contd.

*Figures in brackets indicate area in acres.

TABLE No. 28 - contd.

*Figures in brackets indicate area in acres.

Table No. 29 gives the details of the irrigation works in the district.

TABLE No. 29

STATEMENT SHOWING THE DETAILS OF IRRIGATION WORKS IN CHANDRAPUR DISTRICT, 1964-65 contd.

* Figures in brackets indicate area in acres.

TABLE No. 29-contd.

STATEMENT SHOWING THE DETAILS OF IRRIGATION WORKS IN CHANDRAPUR DISTRICT, 1964-65-contd.

A.R. =Agreement Rate; D.R. =Demand Rate.

TABLE No. 30

TAHSIL-WISE AREA UNDER IRRIGATED CROPS IN CHANDRAPUR DISTRICT FROM 1956-57 TO 1963-64.

Area in hectares

*Figures in brackets indicate area in acres.

TABLE No. 30-cont.

TAHSIL-WISE AREA UNDER IRRIGATED CROPS IN CHANDRAPUR DISTRICT FROM 1956-57 TO 1963-64-contd.

Area in hectares

TOP