AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

IRRIGATION

Irrigation assumes special importance in the scheme of agriculture. The main sources of water supply are Government canals, wells, bandharas and tanks. Lift irrigation from rivers, streams and wells through installation of pumping sets has also benefited many places.

Fields are irrigated at frequent intervals. The interval depends upon the season, the type of soil and requirements of crops and varies from eight to fifteen days. The following table indicates the sources of water supply in various talukas in 1957-58:—

TABLE No. 31.

SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY (TALUKA-WISE) IN SATARA DISTRICT, 1957-58.

The following table shows taluka-wise net area irrigated by different sources of irrigation, in Satara district, in 1957-58:-

TABLE No. 32.

NET AREA IRRIGATED BY DIFFERENT SOURCES OF IRRIGATION IN SATARA DISTRICT, 1957-58.

continued..

The major perennial rivers that run through the district are Krishna and Koyna. After the completion of the Koyna project, the waters of these rivers will be harnessed for stepping up irrigation facilities.

The following table gives area of food crops and non-food crops irrigated in each taluka, in 1957-58:—

TABLE No. 33.

AREA OF FOOD CROPS AND NON-FOOD CROPS, IRRIGATED (TALUKA-WISE) IN SATARA DISTRICT, 1957-58.

TABLE No. 33-contd.

Wells.

The wells used for irrigation are generally circular with a diameter of ten to twelve feet and a depth of twenty to fifty feet. Wells are pitched with stones and mortar. The water is lifted by mot (a leather or iron container). The leather mot five or six feet long is worked in shallow wells, while the one about ten feet long in deep wells. Leather mots are prepared by village cobblers and used commonly. The iron mots usually of the Sangli type are imported from neighbouring urban centres. It is worked by a pair of bullocks and can irrigate from one to five acres. Oil engines or electrical motors are also set up to lift water for irrigating fields. They are being increasingly used, as agriculturists can buy them with State aid. [The number of engines in use, in the district, in 1957-58, was, 1,356, distributed as under: Jaoli, 3; Karad, 391; Khandala, 40; Khatav, 123; Koregaon, 75; Man, 63; Patan, 75; Phaltan, 342; Satara, 181 and Wai, 63.]

Bandharas and Tanks.

Bandharas and tanks provide another important source of irrigation and arc built across small rivers and streams. Their details in respect of location, area, etc. are shown below. In 1957-58 there were 15 tanks and bandharas distributed as under:—

TABLE No. 34.

DETAILS OK PACCA BANDHARAS AND TANKS IN SATARA DISTRICT, 1957-58.

There was one lift irrigation scheme at Nimborda village in Khatav taluka which irrigated about 6,000 acres. Besides, there are a few small pacca bandharas completed recently in the district. Their details in respect of location, area, etc. are shown below:—

TABLE No. 35.

DETAILS OF SMALL BANDHARAS IN SATARA DISTRICT, 1957.

Co-operative Lift Irrigation Schemes.

Co-operative lift irrigation societies have been formed to enable member cultivators to pool their resources for the purchase of lift irrigation plant and machinery. This helps to bring larger areas under irrigation, reduce the cost of irrigation per acre, raise more than one crop a year and to make farming more profitable. 13 lift irrigation schemes were executed in the district, in 1959. Of them, seven were complete, bringing under them 2,686 acres. Krishna, Koyna, Nira, Urmodi and Yerala have abundant water supply which forms the pivot of lift irrigation schemes. The following table gives the details of lift irrigation schemes, in the district, in 1959:—

TABLE No. 36.

LIFT IRRIGATION SOCIETIES IN SATARA DISTRICT, AS ON 31ST MARCH 1959.

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Percolation Tanks.

Dhumaldhara Tank

The schemes were registered under the "Grow-More-Food" campaign under the condition that at least half the area shall be devoted to the production of food crops. The Government grants a subsidy to the extent of one-third the capital costs.

The percolation tank at Dhumaldhara is situated at Giravi, about nine miles south-east of Phaltan. Its site is 12 miles away from Phaltan. The nearest railway station is Lonand on southern railway 17 miles from Phaltan. The direct flow from the tank commands 500 acres under rabi crops. Besides, the well on the down-stream side will increase water supply of infiltration galleries supplying water to the Phaltan town. The catchment area of the tank is 6.7 square miles. The average rainfall at the site is 18 inches. The scheme comprises an earthen dam 795 feet long and 54 feet above the nallah bed, with a gross storage of 30 million cubic feet. Due care is taken to ensure that the Dhumalwadi habitation does not submerge in the case of the tank reaching the highest flood level. The length of the waste weir will measure about 400 running feet. An outlet of Hume pipe is provided with necessary sluice valve for irrigation purposes. The channel is about two miles long and designed for eight cusecs.

The scheme is estimated to cost live lakhs of rupees. It was launched at the commencement of the Second Five-Year Plan. The earthen dam was completed in August, 1960, Waste weir tail channel excavation and irrigation channel are in progress. The whole project was to be completed by December 1960.

Vinchurni Tank.

The percolation tank at Vinchurni has site six miles from Phaltan on the south-west side. A motorable road is constructed upto Kuravali village and approached by a cart-tract. Part of Vinchurni and Kuravali will be benefited. The area of 140 acres under rabi crops will be irrigated by the direct How from the tank. Besides, the scheme will enrich the water supply from the wells in the vicinity of the tank. The scheme comprises an earthen dam having a length of 1,000 feet and a height of 30 feet from the lowest bed level of the nallah. The catchment area of the tank is 1.91 square miles. The average rainfall at the site is 18 inches. The tank will have a storage capacity of 11 million cubic feet. The length of the waste weir is 240 feet with a masonry bar to protect it from scouring. The tail channel is excavated in hard strata. The estimated cost of the scheme is Rs. 88,758 as included in the Second Five-Year Plan. The earthen dam was constructed by May, 1960. The entire project was to be completed by December, 1960.

Mirdhe Tank.

The percolation tank at Mirdhe has site near Mirdhe village, 11 miles from Phaltan on Phaltan-Shinganapur road. Parts of Barad and Mirdhe have benefited from it. It has raised the sub-soil water of the surrounding 30-35 wells, thereby' increasing area under irrigation by 200 acres. Gross capacity of the tank is 12.79 million cubic feet, the net storage available (after deducting losses by evaporation; and absorption) being 10 million cubic feet.

The catchment area at site is 2.7 square miles. The average rain-fall is 18 inches. The earthen dam is 1,000 feet long, the maximum height from the lowest bed level of nallah being 34 feet. The top width of embankment is 12 feet, whereas the waste weir is 250 feet long. The retaining wall is constructed at the junction of the dam and the waste weir. Tail channel is excavated so as to allow water to flow over the waste weir. An outlet of Hume pipe is constructed to facilitate the overflow of water for irrigation. The construction of the dam was undertaken by the Public Works Department and completed in March, 1956 For Rs. 1,73,824.

Adarki Tank.

The percolation tank at Adarki has site near Adarki Kd. 20 miles from Phaltan, on Phaltan-Satara road in mile No. 19. It is 12 miles from Lonand station on the Southern railway. It has benefited Adarki and Hingagaon by bringing 100 acres under irrigation. The catchment area of the tank is 2.5 square miles. The average rainfall at the site is 18 inches. The length of dam is 508 running feet, its maximum height from the lowest bed level of the nallah being 43 feet. Waste weir is an open channel type with a length of 200 feet. It is constructed up to a length of 120 feet whereafter it is enjoined by a natural rock foundation. Tail channel is excavated so as to allow the overflow of water from the waste weir. The storage capacity of the tank is 6.36 million cubic feet. The tank is equipped with a sluice valve and a small pipe, A masonry wall is constructed to protect the flank wall from flood water. The work was undertaken by the Public Works Department and completed, in 1956, for Rs. 1,40,172.

Earthen dam across Banganga.

The earthen dam is situated near Kuravali at a distance of six miles from Phaltan town. The nearest railways station is Lonand on the southern railway, 17 miles from Phaltan. The catchment area at the site is 35 square miles. The length of the dam is 7,000 running feet, its maximum height from the lowest river bed and width at tire top, being 55 feet and 10 feet, respectively. The length of the waste weir is 1,000 running feet. Tail channel is also excavated with two outlets, one on the right side and, the other, on the left. They are 12" and 18" in diameter, respectively. Hume pipes encased with cement concrete and equipped with sluice valves are laid on both the sides. The length of the right bank is four furlongs with a carrying capacity of five cusecs of water while that of the left bank is mote than a mile with a carrying capacity of 45 cusecs of water.

The dam has benefited Kuravali, Tawadi, Vakhari and Wathar by bringing under irrigation 2,500 acres. The construction of the dam was completed by the Public Works Department, in 1953, for Rs. 13,00,000.

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