ECONOMIC TRENDS

IRRIGATION

Yeotmal is not favourably situated as regards irrigation facilities. In the past, wells were the only source of irrigation. The Pattern. Yeotmal District Gazetteer published in 1908 mentions: "The Irrigation. area of irrigated land varies from year to year, but is always very little. The average of the last five years is just over 10,000 acres, of which more than 8,000 acres are in Darwha taluka". Except for a channel: from a tank irrigating about 500 acres the entire irrigation was through wells.

The pace of irrigation facilities has increased since the dawn of Independence. A number of minor irrigation works and medium irrigation projects were taken up during the five-year plans. During the first plan the Kayar Dam Project, a small irrigation project, was completed. In 1966, there were about 59 irrigation works, minor and medium, which were either completed or under construction. These works provided irrigation to about 21,582 acres of land during the year.

The important irrigation projects at present are given below[For details refer Chanter 4]. The irrigation potential [The area actually irrigated is less than the area commanded.] of each is given in brackets. Durug tank (2,532 acres); Dahegaon Bandhara (2,555 acres); Muchi tank (1,300 acres): Pophali tank (1.500 acres); Taroda tank (2,000 acres) and Nignoor tank (3,923 acres). The Pus river medium irrigation proiect known as Vasant Sagar Project and the Khuni river project known as Saikheda Project are however the most promising irrigation schemes. Both the projects contribute to the agricultural prosperity of the district.

The device of 'Vasant Bandharas', the novel idea of the Chief Minister, Shri V. P. Naik, has proved a boon to agriculture. These bandharas, small though they are, provide irrigation facilities for double cropping and gardening which have become popular in the district.

The total irrigated area [Socio-Economic Review, 1965-66.] in the district was 4.40 per cent in 1960-61 and 1961-62 and increased to 0.49 per cent in 1962-63 and 1963-64. and to 0.54 per cent in 1964-65. Of the total irrigated area in the district 81.45 per cent was under food crops, while 18.55 per cent tinder non-food crons. This might be due to the classification of fruits and vegetables under food crops. The irrigated area under food crops has, however, shown a tendency to decrease whereas more and more area under non-food crops is being brought under irrigation.

The Pus river project which was completed in June 1971 will irrigate about 18,998 hectares, while the Khuni river project which was completed in June 1968 will irrigate about 4,860 hectares of land.

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