49

Major Concern- Resource Poverty • Limited assured irrigation capacity • Poor quality soil & degraded land

(42.50%) • Very large drought prone area

( 159 lakh Ha.)

Water and soil conservation and management so as to capture and conserve every drop of water and to produce more crop and income per drop of water and to preserve soil health in a manner that farm productivity can be enhanced in perpetuity

INTRODUCTION: The focus of this report is to work out a strategy so as to conserve and manage both water and soil to enhance production as well as to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to the people, especially for those who are dependent upon rainfed agriculture as their mainstay. Maharashtra, the second largest state in India, both in area as well as in population, has very limited assured irrigation capacity and around 84% of its agricultural land is rainfed. Besides this, the soil is of poor quality and the degraded land consists of 42.50% of the total area. Around 159 lakhs hectares of area is drought-prone. Given this resource poverty, the best possible strategy is to conserve whatever resources are available, whether it is soil or rainwater and create judicious utilization of these. In this context experience shows that watershed development and management works as a good strategy to increase the productivity of the land and the biomass base for other related agro-based activities like dairy, etc. This large-scale watershed development envisages activities on a war footing giving priority to the most degraded areas first, but trying to cover the entire rainfed land resources. This concept paper is an attempt to work out a strategy to undertake this enormous task and sharing it with policy makers and like minded individuals, organizations and govt. line departments.

Chapter III – Water and Soil Conservation

Chairperson - Father Hermann Bacher, Chairman - WOTR, Ahmednagar

Co-ordinator - Dr.Prashant Nichal, Director Soil Conservation & Watershed Management

50

STATUS OF RESOURCES IN MAHARASHTRA IN RELATION TO THE WATERSHED PROGRAMME

Land Utilization Statistics of Maharashtra

Geographical details Area in 100 Hectares

Geographical area 3,07,583 Area under forests 53,655 Land not available for cultivation a) Barren and uncultivated land b) Land put to non agricultural uses

17,015 12,387

Other uncultivated land a) Culturable waste land b) Permanent pastures and grazing land c) Land under miscellaneous tree crops and

groves

8,882

13,405 2,219

Fallow lands a) Current Fallows b) Other Fallows

11,319 11,385

Cropped Area a) Net area sown b) Area sown more than once

1,77,316

44,231 Gross Cropped Area 2,21,547

(Source:- The Citizens Fifth Report-1999) Annual Average Rainfall- East Maharashtra = 1000 to 1500 mm. Marathwada = 650 to 800 mm West Maharashtra = 500 to 750 mm Some part of western Maharashtra = below 500 mm Konkan & Western Ghat = 2700 to 3000 mm

(Source – Agriculture Atlas Maharashtra State – 1991 –92)

Total Number, Area and Average Size of Operational Holding in Maharashtra According to Agricultural Census

Sr. No.

Holding Size (Hectare)

Number of operational holdings (In hundred)

Area of operational holdings (In 100 hectares)

Average size of holdings (hectare)

1 Below 0.5 16,672 4119 0.25 2 0.5-1.0 16,075 12057 0.75 3 1.0-2.0 27,276 39833 1.46 4 2.0-3.0 13,969 33689 2.41 5 3.0-4.0 7,289 25108 3.44

51

6 4.0-5.0 4,469 19864 4.44 7 5.0-10.0 7,241 48700 6.73 8 10.0-20.0 1,530 19749 12.91 9 Above 20.0 176 6129 34.82 Total 94,697 2,09,248 2.21

(Source: - The Citizens Fifth Report-1999)

Area Under Principal Crops, Production and Yield Per Hectare in Maharashtra (1999-2000)

(Area in thousand hectares / Production in hundred tonnes / Yield per hectare in kilogram)

Sr.No Crops Area Production Yield per hectare 1 Rice 1,520 25,588 1,683 2 Wheat 1,049 14,361 1,369 3 Jowar 5,191 46,926 904 4 Bajra 1,736 17,340 653 5 Tur 1,041 8,681 834 6 Gram 933 6,000 643 7 Cotton 3,254 5,269 162 8 Groundnut 540 5,721 1,059 9 Sugarcane 686 5,31,404 90,053 10 Tobacco 9 110 1,196

(Source:- The Citizen’s Fifth Report)

Area Irrigated by Various Sources in Mahrashtra State

Area irrigated a) Wells b) Other sources c) Net area d) Gross area

In 1000 hectares

1,400 1,168 2,568 3,374

Intensity of irrigated cropping 131 Gross cropped area through irrigation 21,897 Percentage of gross irrigated area to gross cropped area

15.41

(Source: - The Citizen’s Fifth Report-1999)

52

Livestock and Poultry in Maharashtra (1997)

Sr.No Type of livestock In thousands 1 Cattle 17,949 2 Buffaloes 6,484 3 Sheep and goats 14,716 4 Other live stock 645 5 Total live stock 39,793 6 Sheep and goats per hundred hectares of

grazing and pasture land 1,084

7 Live stock per hundred hectares of net area cropped

223

8 No. of Live stock per lakh of population 50 9 Total poultry 34,984

(Source: - The Citizens Fifth Report-1999) Comparison of Agricultural Productivity: National v/s State

Crop Category Average Productivity Kg/Ha.

Percentage of irrigated area

Nation State Nation State Food grains 1614 1058 40.5 12.4 Oilseeds 926 891 20.1 10.2 Cotton (lint) 265 173 34.8 3.6 Sugarcane (m.f.) 66.5 80.4 88.5 100

(Source: Commissionerate of Agriculture, GOM, Pune; Feb. 2001)

The table reflects less per hectare productivity in the state as compared to the national average. The main reason for this is less percentage of irrigated area for cultivation of crops.

Soil Degradation Status in Maharashtra: Kind of Degradation Degree of Degradation (Area in 000 Ha.) Total Slight Moderate Strong Extreme Area in

000 Ha. (%)

Water erosion 463.1 (1.5%)

6245.2 (20.3%)

4485.2 (14.6%)

502.7 (1.6%)

11696.1 (38%)

Water erosion+ Chemical deterioration Loss of nutrients

173.9 (0.6%)

129.9 (0.4%)

303.8 (1%)

Chemical deterioration Salinity and alkalinity

887.6 (2.9%)

169 (0.5%)

1056.6 (3.4%)

Total Area 463.1 (1.5%)

7132.8 (23.3%)

4659.1 (15.2%)

801.6 (2.5%)

13028.0 (42.5%)

(Source: Commissionerate of Agriculture, GOM, Pune; Feb. 2001)

53

42.5% of the total land is suffering from different degrees of soil degradation and water erosion is the major contributing factor. The watershed management should concentrate on these areas where soil is lost through run-off and the strategy should be to prevent soil erosion while at the same time conserving surface run-off. Present Status of Watersheds in Maharashtra: No. of watersheds (classified by GSDA) 1505 Priority watersheds 793 No. of sub-watersheds 5773 No. of Mini watersheds 9853 No. of Micro-watersheds 44185 Total rainfed villages 35717 No. of micro-watersheds selected 31714 Area available for watershed development 207.38 lakh hectares Area covered 61.14 lakh hectares Balance area available for watershed

Development 146.22 lakh hectares - Incomplete watersheds 50.21 lakh hectares - New watersheds 96.01 lakh hectares

(Source: Commissionerate of Agriculture, GOM, Pune; Feb. 2001)

The strategy for watershed development during the next 25 years will be based on the extent of area available for development, i.e. 146.22 lakh hectares, of which 50.21 lakh hectares which is incomplete should be the first priority. GENERAL APPROACH FOR WATERSHED DEVELOMENT: • Only locally created institutions that are representative and active can

undertake poverty eradication and sustainable development, in a manner which, not only improves the economic and social condition of the people, but also transforms the resource utilization pattern to more sustainable one.

• The objective is to prevent soil erosion, increase soil moisture, raise

ground water level, conserve and increase the biomass cover of the area.

This would result in:

better production of land would ensure availability of water for protective irrigation and drinking increase availability of fodder, fuel and fiber

54

It would also help in adopting new cropping patterns since the perception of risk involved is LOW. In such a situation multiple crops are possible.

• Watershed, being a natural unit where environmental and human claims are

played out, it provides the platform, the agenda and catalyzing impulse that brings together diverse and competing interests. Thus watershed can be the unit of intervention for further development of people and their resources.

RATIONALE FOR WATERSHED PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT A watershed is an intricate natural region in dynamic interaction with its

surroundings and its own sub region. It is influenced by humans and the environment in varied manner according to local situations.

A watershed is a functional unit established primarily by physical

relationships. The impact of human-environment interaction follows the watershed boundary and not any political boundary. Water flows down the hill regardless of how people define their political boundaries.

A natural and social boundary such as watershed can enable planners and

managers to consider all inputs, processes and outputs systematically – something essential for a holistic development approach. Such an approach is also logical from the economic point of view. Not only does the watershed have a definite determining role in shaping basic economic potential, it also determines which activities will be internally compatible.

Thus it is better to change the planning approach from the political-

administrative boundary to micro-watershed / eco-region based approach. This does not mean that the present day administrative boundary as a planning unit will be done away with, it may acquire the federative nature - What is definitely envisaged is that the watershed concept will be introduced as integral components in the mainstream of activity. Thus the micro-level development planning and resource management primarily covering the resource conservation of land, water and bio-mass and secondarily covering the resource use through agriculture, forestry, irrigation, hydro power, waste land development etc. will have a watershed-based approach

55

SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES: TECHNICAL COMPONENTS Our failure to properly manage the country's basic natural resources of land, vegetation and water has been a major cause of our impoverishment. The treatment must be from ridge to valley. There can not be an artificial division of the forest and non-forest land, as well as private and community lands, while applying various methods of treatment. Therefore, the issue of degraded and wastelands has to be taken up to ensure that every drop of water and every square foot of land is best utilized. While taking due care of such "wasted" lands, we should not over look the need to improve the efficiency of even non-degraded lands whether they are under forest or agricultural cover. It is a matter of concern that even our good forests are subject to illegal exploitation and that the sustainability of our agricultural lands is threatened by the over use of irrigation, chemical fertilizer and pesticides, besides being susceptible to depletion through diversion for other uses. Special care should be taken to save both these categories of land from degradation. To save the soil from erosion hazards a number of methods can be adopted. 1) Reducing soil erosion by water: Since water is one of the main agents which

causes soil erosion, measures aimed at preventing soil erosion by water are also water conservation measures. Reducing soil erosion by water generally involves the following measures a) for controlling and guiding runoff, b) reducing the impact of water on soil, c) allowing for greater infiltration by slowing down water flows, d) improving soil structure.

2) Perennial vegetative cover to control soil erosion The most effective measures for soil and water conservation is to be create a perennial green cover over the affected land.

One of the major factors contributing to soil erosion is the force with which raindrops hits bare soil, loosening it and carrying away a portion of it with the runoff that it generates. This is called 'splash erosion'. Roots of plants also act as soil binders and prevent its washing away by rain and flowing water to a great extent.

3) Vegetative barriers: Live hedges on field bunds, live contour hedges and strip farming also work towards preventing soil erosion.

4) Agronomic and other measures: Contour farming and ploughing and mulching also with other treatments like bunds, trenches and waterways help in preventing soil erosion especially in arable land. 5) Gully erosions can be controlled through gully checks using soil, stones, vegetation, etc.

56

Rainwater Conservation and Management: Rainwater management mainly includes the conservation of water especially in hill slopes, upland, mid land and low lands. Hydrologic components including interceptions, infiltration, depression storage, overland flow and stream flow need to be managed scientifically according to the various land situations prevailing in the state. The process, in which water enters the surface strata of the soil and moves downward, towards the water table, is known as infiltration. The capacity of formation to absorb water is known as its infiltration capacity. It is not a constant factor and it not only changes with time but also changes with location. Each factor, which affects infiltration capacity, should be considered to manage for allowing more and more water to infiltrate in the ground to recharge the water table. Strategies of Water Conservation and Management in Arable Lands Various water conservation practices can be adopted to achieve this objective: (A) Reducing runoff amount through :

a. Increased infiltration b. Increased time for infiltration c. Reducing rain drop impact and intensity

(B) Decreasing runoff velocity by: a. Reducing slope gradient b. Decreasing slope length c. Increasing roughness

(C) Adopting sustainable farming systems like a. Low cropping intensity b. Use of cover crops c. In situ water conservation

The following measures can be adopted for water conservation in arable lands: A) Preventive measures:

a. Crop management 1. Early planting 2. Adequate stand 3. Crop rotation 4. Multiple cropping 5. Strip cropping 6. Balanced fertilizer application 7. Use of organic farming 8. Agroforestry

57

b. Water conservation through soil management 1. Mulch farming 2. Conservation tillage 3. Rough seed bed 4. Contour cultivation 5. Ridge furrow system of planting 6. Formation of tie ridges 7. Soil Conservation systems

B. Control measures: a. Slope management through: i. Terracing ii. Contour bunds b. Runoff management through: i. Surplus water disposal structures ii. Grassed Waterways iii. Soil Conservation structures iv. Rainwater harvesting

Measures for Groundwater Recharge Groundwater recharge can be defined as the entry into the saturated zone of water made available at the water table surface, together with the associated flow away from the water table within the saturated zone (Freeze & Cherry 1979). Groundwater recharge can take place in two ways (a) natural and (b) man-made or artificial groundwater recharge. (a) Natural groundwater recharge Groundwater recharge that takes place in a natural condition through infiltration is the natural groundwater recharge and rainfall is the most important source of natural groundwater recharge. In the major part of Maharashtra, the maximum fluctuation of ground water levels and the groundwater recharge takes palace during south-west monsoon. Rainfall infiltration primarily depends upon duration and intensity of rainfall, soil moisture characteristics, topographic slopes, land use pattern, agronomic practices, weather conditions preceding, during, and succeeding rainfall periods, and depth of water table. These conditions further impose a limit on threshold value of rainfall required to affect groundwater recharge. (b) Artificial recharge Any process by which man fosters the transfer of surface water into the groundwater system can be classified as artificial groundwater recharge. Artificial recharge may also be defined as the augmentation of the natural infiltration of precipitation of surface water into underground formation by appropriate methods, commonly at rates and in quantities in excess of natural recharge. The methods of artificial recharge like water spreading such as dikes/checks across natural channels, soil conservation measures, percolation tanks/ponds etc.; recharge through pits and wells, induced recharge and accelerate

58

groundwater recharge through increased infiltration into the ground to replenish/augment groundwater resources. It involves the storage and conservation of surface water in times of plenty of importation/diversion of surface water from areas of plenty to augment groundwater recharge. Induced recharge is an indirect method in which increased recharge is obtained by locating the means for groundwater abstractions nearer to areas of rejected recharge or natural discharge e.g., lakes, streams or rivers, etc. It results in lowering the ground water levels thus inducing more water to enter the ground from the surface source. The selection of suitable artificial recharge method in Maharashtra, will depends upon the prevailing hydrological characteristics of aquifers, sediment in recharge waters, fluctuation in water levels and rate of discharge. All the aforesaid techniques can be apply in the state of Maharashtra according to different land and agroclimatic situations. Watershed Approach for Rain Water Conservation Watershed management is not merely anti-erosional and anti-runoff approach but also a comprehensive, integrated approach of land and water resources management. The approach is preventive, progressive, corrective as well as curative. Hitherto wasted land resources could be fruitfully harnessed into productive means through in situ water and soil conservation which is envisaged under watershed development. The conditions of land, water and other natural resources in a watershed and the use that is made of them influence the rate and progress made in a watershed. The chief objectives of the watershed management are:

A) Conserving soil & water B) Improving the ability of land to hold water thus increasing the

moisture C) Rainwater harvesting & recharging D) Increasing biomass – trees, crops & grasses

Methods of artificial recharge include:

· Contour ploughing and other techniques · Contour hedging · Check dams especially in higher grounds · Percolation tanks · Water spreading · Recharge through pits, wells and dug come tube wells · Induced recharge from river flow · Spreading of wasted flows on wastelands

Explosion (c) Conservation of Overland Flow Overland flow, stream head flow and river flow are the erosive components of rainfall. Overland flow is taken care of by contour techniques of soil and water conservation. Bunding and compartmentalizing using locally available material of gully head for raising vegetation is optimal solution of soil and water conservation.

59

Water Conservation in Nalas and Rivers Planned approach to develop and conserve the nalas and river waters not only fills the gap between demand and supply but also solves any complementary problems on state and national scale as given below;

1. Check the flow during dry season 2. Recharges the groundwater of near by area of bank through dug

wells, dug cum deep tube wells 3. Conserves the soil through reduction of river erosion 4. Increases the soil moisture conditions in near by area 5. Controls the floods & concomitant recurring losses

Harnessing of unutilized river flows is mainly carried out through dams and reservoirs. The Government has been doing in past in constructing the major dams under the strain of limited resources. But, it is basic to commence the harnessing with simple and economical practices like utilizing flood and base flows, water harvesting, development of fresh waters from tidal rivers and exploitation of groundwater from canals and command areas, for which the details are not presented in this paper. (d) Surface Water Management Following major points should be considered for surface water management for crop production;

· Diversion of water for- Storing in natural depressions Bunding in broad valleys with narrow necks Greening the region

· Power generation with small units to cater the needs of the region · Rainwater & groundwater harvesting · Improving drainage system through community participation · Integrated water resources management

In Maharashtra regions the applicable aspects should be followed giving prime emphasis to rainwater harvesting. (e) Rejected Recharge Huge quantities of the base flows of most of the rivers are let into the ocean. It is very essential to organize these waters for the listed reasons:

· Base flows are available in the lean months of Post-Monsoons · They are major source for greening around the year · Economical means for harvesting & salvaging water resources · Easily usable by simple pumps

60

Productivity-Oriented Hydrological Planning for Watershed Development It is necessary to minimise unproductive evaporation in a watershed in order to maximise and optimise productive water use for a watershed. First, the fullest advantage needs to be taken of all possibilities of in situ soil storage of moisture as well as of the topographical and geological features to develop surface and subsurface water storage by reducing the period of detention in the surface storage. Thus, the water required for summer irrigation should be derived mainly from sub-surface storage. The period of surface detention in the field should also be minimised in order to reduce the evaporation losses from temporary water accumulation in the field and at saturated soil surface. Second, the productivity of water utilisation in terms of biomass should be maximised (in terms of values & quantity) through an optimised biomass production strategy. This implies that appropriate species of plants and a species mix are chosen to match the water availability in the root zone. The water availability in the root zone is determined both directly from utilised rainfall and also from applied irrigation water. Third, the optimized plan should first define the run-off areas, the infiltration/detention and storage areas and adopt appropriate strategies for them. Generally, watershed planning that does not have such distinction in mind aims at a uniform policy of suppressing run-off as completely as possible. This often turns out to be prohibitive in terms of cost, and also results in evaporation from temporary accumulation and saturated surface in a very large number of locations. Instead, it is needed to clearly delimit a runoff area, generally the steeper undulating portions and portion in which soil cover and storage is poor. In this area, the objective should not be to suppress run-off but rather to minimize soil erosion while guiding the run-off towards the infiltration and storage areas. Run-off area, infiltration/detention area, storage area, along with a suitable cropping pattern or biomass production plan should then be worked out to minimize evaporation loss. The next component of hydrological planning would be the evaluation of ground water storage potential and determination of extent of storage required to stabilize production. An overall water balance for well-developed watershed can be worked out by observing the crop areas and the ground water levels through monitoring of existing wells or specially dug dry trenches or pits. By sampling farmers’ fields and through a participatory appraisal, the irrigation water consumption for various crops can be estimated, and this combined with a study provides the possibility of arriving at an overall assessment of ground water level.

61

SOCIAL COMPONENTS OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT A development action plan should be based on the basic needs of the people. The following points include the most important factors of watershed development - Building on creativity energy – Watershed development is community

development. It creates an environment which facilitates and releases the dormant energies in interior rural villages. The togetherness and hence the synergy of the community are harnessed to create a developmental potential for all the watershed dwellers.

Facilitating role of external agencies – Initially the community is not aware

about the complexity and the inter-sectoral linkages of the project. Hence hand-holding is required and competent institutions with a people-oriented approach should guide them to take their own responsibility and to develop their skills and knowledge base. The organization should be a facilitator not an implementor.

Capacity building - Capacity Building of stake-holders is an essential

component for planning, implementing, maintaining and managing the developmental initiatives. The releasing of the creativity and energy of the poor means opening processes in which the poor take the role of an active subject. If the people are given the responsibilities for their own development the capacity-building at the village level has taken place . Capacity building can be through exposure visits to learn from each other, learning-by-doing, learning and understanding concepts, systems and procedures, hands-on training and through participatory monitoring of activities. People learning by doing the work should be the backbone of any capacity building initiative.

Institution building and Responsibility sharing – Institutions with clear-cut

authority and responsibility structures are essential for any rural development activity since the external agencies are just facilitators of processes. In the context of watershed the Gram Sabha with an executive implementation body, the Watershed Committee (WC) should be the major institution with the responsibility of planning, implementation, monitoring and management including financial authority. Other institutions like Mahila Mandals, Forest Protection Committees, etc. complement them in terms of social capital necessary for developmental initiatives.

Community Responsibilities – The community should be ready to take up

the responsibilities such as agreeing for social fencing (ban on free grazing in treated areas, ban on tree felling) besides contributing in cash or kind towards the partial cost of the project.

62

BEST PRACTICES TO BE ADOPTED FOR SUSTAINABLE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION • Ridge-to-valley conservation including forest area which often falls in the

ridge area or in the upper catchment of the watershed. • Proposed land use and treatment based on land capability and farmers’ need. • Participatory micro-planning with each individual farmer aimed at blending

traditional and modern technology. • Contribution by the beneficiaries which will become part of a Maintenance

Fund for future care. • Decentralized and in situ conservation, rather than concentrating on major

structures on the drainage line. • Priority for land-based treatments. • Grazing restriction or controlled grazing on treated areas, especially in areas

under afforestation treatment and ban on tree felling. • Financial devolution to the community and Gram Sabha as the final authority. • Representative executive body – the Watershed Committee (WC) – which is

responsible for planning, implementation, monitoring and maintenance. • Local employment generation through watershed activities so as to create

livelihood means during project implementation. • Self-help promotion of women so as to build social capital and economic

independence and gender integration in project planning and implementation. PRESENT SCENARIO OF WATERSHEDS IN THE STATE: State-wise Details of Watersheds Under Different Programs Schemes No. of watersheds

started No. of watersheds completed

No. of watersheds incomplete

IWDP 22302 7048 15254 NWDPRA 917 646 271 WGDP 97 43 54 RBP 114 59 55 DPAP 856 132 724 Adarsh Gaon 645 100 545 EAS 50% 1582 189 1393 CAPART 78 0 78 IGWDP 116 41 75 (In progress) Total 26707 8258 18449

(Source: Commissionerate of Agriculture, GOM, Pune; 2002)

63

Region-wise Status of Watersheds (in lakh hectares)

Region Geog. Area

Area under cultivation

Area not available for watershed dev.

Area available for watershed dev.

Area treated

Balance area

Rest of Maharashtra

145.92 (47.44%

)

80.45 (45.37%)

47.45 (47.35%)

98.47 (47.48%)

32.18 (52.62%)

66.30 (45.34%)

Marathwada

64.43 (20.95%

)

46.62 (26.29%)

12.39 (12.36%)

52.04 (25.09%)

16.80 (27.48%)

34.24 (24.10%)

Vidarbha 97.23 (31.61%

)

50.24 (28.34%)

40.37 (40.29%)

56.86 (27.42%)

12.17 (19.90%)

44.68 (30.56%)

Total 307.58 177.31 100.21 207.37 61.15 146.22 (Source: Commissionerate of Agriculture, GOM, Pune; 2002)

Region-wise Expenditure since 1991-92: (TOTAL EXPENDITURE: Rs. 2252 Crore)

Rest of Maharashtra Marathwada Vidarbha District Expenditure

in Crore Rs. District Expenditure

in Crore Rs. District Expenditure

in Crore Rs. Thane 101.85 Aurangabad 59.57 Buldhana 43.48 Raigad 49.93 Jalna 92.82 Akola 52.50 Ratnagiri 38.93 Beed 50.32 Washim 2.96 Sindhudurg 22.83 Latur 74.33 Amravati 54.70 Nashik 123.23 Osmanabad 148.19 Wardha 26.13 Dhule 66.67 Nanded 120.05 Yeotmal 57.75 Nandurbar 12.83 Parbhani 81.29 Nagpur 63.93 Jalgaon 45.77 Hingoli 7.59 Bhandara 58.03 Ahmednagar 142.71 Chandrapur 66.40 Pune 132.21 Gadchiroli 53.85 Solapur 197.74 Gondia 3.91 Satara 80.91 Sangli 51.33 Kolhapur 47.11 Total 1134.05

(50.36%) Total 634.16

(28.16%) Total 483.55

(21.48%) (Source: Commissionerate of Agriculture, GOM, Pune; 2002)

64

Region-Wise Specificity and Approaches for Watershed Development: Region-specific problems:

Sr. Region Specific Problem 1 East

Maharashtra (Vidarbha)

1. Very high soil erosion even though good plantation cover

2. Intensity of rainfall is very high throughout the rainy days.

3. Long dry spell between two wet spells. 4. High possibility of fire hazard in forest area, threats to

new regenerating species. 5. Siltation of reservoirs and tank. 6. Specific problem of salinity in Amravati, Akola and

Buldhana districts in a total of 4.69 lakh hectares of area.

2 Marathwada and West Maharashtra (Drought Prone Area)

7. Low rainfall. 8. Very little forest cover. 9. Variation and late rainfall. 10. Uneven spread of rainy days. 11. Acute water shortage. 12. Recurring droughts. 13. Overgrazing and deforestation.

3 Konkan 14. Soil erosion along hill slopes 15. High intensity rainfall. 16. Cultivation on steep slopes. 17. Coastal salinity. 18. Flooding of cultivated lands.

Proposed Land Use & Possible Area Treatments for Different Regions 1. East Maharashtra (Vidarbha)

Land Use Treatments Cross section Maximum unit per Ha.

Crop Graded Bunds /Farm Bunds, Vegetative Bunds

0.45 – 1 sqm 250 – 400 rm.

Cultivation Stone Outlets Waterways 0.45 – 0.60

sqm. 100 rm.

Farm Ponds As per site requirement

Earthen Gully Plugs 1.5 - 2.5 sqm.

As per site.

Horti-Pasture CCT 0.18 1200 rm. WAT 0.36 – 1 100 rm Gully Plug 1 Stone Bunding 0.45 – 0.60 100 rm Pits, Plantation (Horticulture Plants)

and grass seeding. 0.36 – 0.50 600 or on

CCT Agro- Graded Bund /Farm Bund, ,

Vegetative Bunds 0.45 – 1 sqm 250 – 400 rm.

Horticulture Stone outlet

65

Pits 1mX1mX1m 100 nos. Plantation (Horticulture plants) 100 nos. Reforestation CCT 0.18 1200 rm. WAT 1 300 rm. Stone Bunding 0.45 – 0.60 100 rm Gully Plug Plantation. 600 nos. Drainage Farm Pond. Line LBS Gabion structure Vented Check Weir. Brush Wood Dam For the East Maharashtra (Vidarbha) region, where the specific problem of salinity is observed, salinity control measures have to be adopted which include application of gypsum, rotovator tilling, sprinkler irrigation, contour vegetative bunding, drainage trench, farm ponds, nala training, etc. Marathwada

Land Use Treatment Cross section

Maximum unit per Ha.

Crop Contour Bund /Farm Bund, Vegetative Bunds

0.45 – 1 sqm 250 – 400 rm.

Cultivation Stone Out lets Earthen Gully Plugs 1.5 - 2.5

sqm. As per site.

Plantation on bund Afforestation WAT (Water Absorption Trench) 1 300 rm CCT 0.18 1200 rm RCT (Refilling of CCT) 0.24 600 rm Plantation Stone Bund 0.45 – 0.60 300 rm Gully plug 1.00 Horti-pasture WAT (Water Absorption Trench) 1.00 300 rm CCT 0.18 1200 rm RCT (Refilling of CCT) / Pits 0.24 600 rm Plantation (Horticulture plants) 600 nos. Stone Bund 0.45 – 0.60 300 rm Gully plug 1.00 Grass seeding. Dry land WAT (Water Absorption Trench) 1.00 300 rm. Horticulture CCT 0.18 1200 rm RCT (Refilling of CCT) / Pits 0.24 600 rm Plantation (Dry land horticulture

plants) 600 nos.

Drainage LBS Line Cement Gully Plug

66

Nala Bund Farm Pond Check Dam West Maharashtra (Drought Prone Area)

Land Use Treatment Cross section Maximum unit per Ha.

Crop Contour Bund /Farm Bund, Vegetative Bunds

0.45 – 1 sqm 250 – 400 rm.

Cultivation Stone Outlets Earthen Gully Plugs 1.5 - 2.5

sqm. As per site.

Grass seeding on bund Afforestation WAT (Water Absorption Trench) 1 300 rm CCT 0.18 1200 rm RCT (Refilling of CCT) 0.24 600 rm Plantation Stone Bund 0.45 – 0.60 300 rm Gully plug 1.00 Horti-pasture WAT (Water Absorption Trench) 1.00 100 rm CCT 0.18 1200 rm RCT (Refilling of CCT) / Pits 0.24 600 rm Plantation (Horticulture plants) 600 nos. Stone Bund 0.45 – 0.60 100 rm Gully plug 1.00 Grass seeding. Dry land WAT (Water Absorption Trench) 1.00 100 rm. Horticulture CCT 0.18 1200 rm RCT (Refilling of CCT) / Pits 0.24 600 rm Plantation (Dry land horticulture

plants) 600 nos.

Drainage Line

LBS

Earthen Gully Plug Nala Bund Check Dam

67

Konkan and Western Ghat

Land Use Treatment Cross section

Maximum unit per Ha.

Crop Cultivation

Contour Bund /Farm Bund, Vegetative Bunds

0.45 – 1 sqm 250 – 400 rm.

Horticulture Pits 400 nos Plantation 400 nos Drainage Gully plug Line Brush wood dam Gabion Structure Farm Pond Vented Check Dam Besides these measures for soil and water conservation, enhancement of soil fertility is also a major concern. From a high-cost external input-oriented agricultural production, to an integrated nutrient management approach for soil fertility can be thought of with inputs like bio-fertilizer and pesticides, organic manure, compost, etc. WATERSHED STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT TWENTY FIVE YEARS As mentioned earlier, 146.22 lakh hectares of area could be brought under watershed development. To achieve this goal, major policy decisions are required in terms of funds, manpower and collaborative strategies. The major issues of concern are: • Huge requirement of funds • Timely and adequate availability of funds • Large number of untrained field staff • Problems of contribution by beneficiaries • Regional differences and disparities • Role of NGOs in providing technical and social support • Coordination among line departments For example, if we take just one aspect, i.e. the requirement of funds, with the present per hectare cost envisaged under different govt. watershed development programs, i.e. Rs. 6000 per hectare, only the treatment component would work out to Rs. 8772 crores at the present price. The same is true in terms of the availability of trained staff (social and technical) with the government and NGOs. To overcome this, a phasing strategy is required besides convergence of different centrally and state-sponsored as well as externally assisted developmental programs. Besides this, priority should be given to the most degraded area based on ecological indices, demand and satellite information.

68

Basis for Prioritizing Watersheds: (Incomplete watersheds)

Region Total incomplete area

Dark and Grey watersheds

DPAP Watersheds

Tribal area watersheds

Other area watersheds

Rest of Maharashtra

2835933 316707 1188938 605720 724568

Marathwada

1281230 70536 812548 46002 352144

Vidarbha

904671 44311 330054 309534 220772

Total

5021634 431554 2331540 961256 1297484

(Source: Commissionerate of Agriculture, GOM, Pune;2002) Of an area of 146.22 lakh hectares available for watershed treatment, 50.21 lakh hectares of area which is incomplete should be the first priority. Dark and grey, DPAP and tribal area watersheds should receive the highest priority. According to the data available with the Commissionerate of Agriculture, Rs. 2511 crores is required to complete soil and water conservation work in this area. If we take Rs. 6000 as the per hectare cost as per the present guidelines, it works out to Rs. 3012 crores. Besides this, as per the govt. estimation, an amount of Rs. 480 crore is required to treat 4.69 lakh hectares of saline affected area in East Maharahstra districts of Amaravati, Buldhana and Akola. The remaining 96.01 lakh hectares of area should be the next priority for undertaking soil and water conservation activities. Again within the same, dark and grey watersheds, DPAP and tribal area watersheds should receive first priority. At Rs. 6000 per hectare, the total cost to treat this area would work out to Rs. 5760 crores. CONCLUSION: Given the enormity of the task involved in undertaking soil and water conservation in 146 lakh hectares of area in terms of finance, manpower and technology, a well thought out plan is required. Areas which urgently require conservation methods should be prioritized based on a five-year perspective and resources have to be mobilized for both hardware and software components. Convergence of different programs related to agriculture, horticulture and soil and water conservation is required, besides involving different institutions and agencies both private and public. A master plan is required which takes into consideration both the micro and macro requirements, but local planning and implementation should be based on active participation of the stakeholders.

• * * *

69

Executive Summary

The Issue:

To increase the agricultural productivity and sustainable livelihood opportunities in rainfed areas of rural Maharashtra, through appropriate soil and water conservation technologies and agronomic practices.

The Context: In the state of Maharashtra: • Percentage of the gross irrigated area to gross cropped area is only 15.41 • 42.5% of geogiaphical area suffers from different kinds of soil degradation. • 159 lakh hectares i.e. 52% area is drought prone. • Per hectare productivity of different crops (except sugarcane) is low in the

state as compared to the national average. • 146.22 lakh hectares of area requires soil and water conservation

treatments. Requirements: Finance: • To treat 146.22 lakh hectares of area through different soil and water

conservation measures and agronomic practices, the financial requirement is approximately Rs. 8772 crores at the rate of Rs. 6000/hectare which is the prevalent cost norm.

• This calls for convergence of different funding sources and departmental allocations into a single kitty.

Human Resource: • At the implementation level expertise is required in the fields of

agronomy, engineering, community mobilization, livestock and livelihood promotion, etc.

• Even if a team of 4 persons is envisaged for 5000 hectares of area, total requirement for 146.22 lakh hectares is around 3000 teams. If a five year perspective is worked out, 600 teams are required for 29.244 lakh hectares.

• Collaboration and synergies have to be built between different line departments, private and public institutions and non-governmental organisations to perform this huge task. Coordination and management also envisage personnel, policy formulation and institutional restructuring.

70

Capacity Building: Enormous inputs are required for primary stake holders in awareness

building, concept of watershed management, project implementation and post project management, institution building, etc.

Inputs and extension services are also required in the areas of sustainable agricultural practices through low external input, integrated nutrient management, integrated pest management and other alternative technologies.

Besides this, the secondary actors/facilitators also require training and capacity building to facilitate the processes and expected outcomes.

Institutions and expertise have to be identified to cater to the needs of this capacity building effort.

Policy requirements: Policies are required in convergence, exploitation and utilization of resources, approaches and strategies