AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

AGRICULTURAL POPULATION

THIS CHAPTER MAINLY DESCRIBES THE AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT which support nearly 82.51 per cent of the total population of the district. The economy of the district is preferentially suited to agricultural development as could be seen from a brief description of the district in relief. The Tapi river, one of the chief natural features, with its total course of 86.905 km. (54 miles) in the district flows in westerly direction, dividing the district into two unequal parts, the larger lying towards the south. It receives many tributaries from both the directions, southern as well as northern, which together form the most fertile central part of the district. The river Narmada skirts the northern boundary of the district for 56.327 km. (35 miles). Towards the north the central alluvial plain rises into a difficult and rugged country, thickly wooded and inhabited by the tribes of Bhils whose cultivating methods are still aboriginal. This northern part of the district is covered by the Satpuda ranges while western and southern parts are bounded by the Satmala hill ranges. The rainfall is also not uniform all over the district. It varies between 525 mm. and 1150 mm. The district is thus a distinct topographical unit, drained by the Tapi river and its tributaries and covered by the Satpuda and Satmala hill ranges in the north and south respectively. The cultivators for the agricultural take off in the district, therefore, have to toil on the base land which is covered with hill ranges.

The class of cultivators as a whole in the district can be broadly divided into those who are inhabiting the hilly regions of the district and cultivate the land more or less in an aboriginal way. Most of them still live on the wild fruits of the forest and wild animals and support themselves by the profits of wood-cutting. This class, amongst others, mainly consists of Bhils, Dhanka, Gamit, Kokna, Naikda and Pardhi tribes. This district has the largest proportion of scheduled tribes in the State. Out of the total population of 1,351,236, 513,344 persons or 37.99 per cent belong to the scheduled tribes.

Their concentration is mostly in the northern Satpuda ranges and the Satmala ranges in the south and south-west.

The other class of local husbandmen is the most important and consists of mainly Maratha, Gujar, Rajput and Mali. Of these, the Gujar cultivators are very fond of maintaining horses to take round in the fields. The Malis still continue their traditional way of cultivation i.e. bagait or mala. The class of cultivators as a whole in the district inspite of progressive agriculture is still under the economic stress which grays the hair and bends the shoulders of the peasants.

In 1951, cultivators and agricultural labourers (including earning dependents) constituted 56.32 per cent and 24.24 per cent of the total workers respectively. In 1961, the corresponding proportions were 46.06 per cent and 36.46 per cent respectively. In 1961, the proportion of agricultural labourers is also very high as compared with the figures of State as a whole. The ratio between cultivators and agricultural labourers is 4: 3 against 2: 1 for the State.

The following statement gives the taluka-wise distribution of workers into two categories viz., cultivators and agricultural labourers with corresponding figures for the State and the district:—

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