Impact of Irrigation on Agricultural Development in Dharwad District of Karnataka State

Irrigation is very important input of agriculture and most of the successful green revolution areas in India also concede with high irrigation intensity areas, since adequate and timely moisture supply is a sine-qua-non in the new agriculture its success is linked very closely with the development of irrigation. The problem of low agricultural productivity can be tackled by improving farm facility irrigational facilities. Differences in the provisions of irrigation facilities account for a substantial amount of variation in agricultural output between regions. If constant supply of water is ensured transformation and expansion of agriculture can take place. Without irrigation very little can be expected from extensive cultivation. Besides, irrigation helps greatly in raising the yield of land. In the foregoing analysis an evaluation of the aspects of irrigation in Dharwad district, has been made in detail in order to understand the role and impact of irrigation in the development of agriculture and its efficiency. Impact of Irrigation on Agricultural Development in Dharwad District of Karnataka State Introduction: Irrigation is an age old art. Historically, civilizations have followed the development of irrigation. Most men who are well-informed of irrigation are certain of its perpetuity, as it is intelligently practiced. Others think that a civilization based on agriculture under irrigation is destined to declined sooner are later with disappearance of water resources. Civilizations have evolved on irrigated lands; they have also decayed and disintegrated in irrigated regions. Most ancient cultures depending upon irrigated agriculture declined because of the lack of political and community stability, essential to sustain agriculture. The duration of civilization depend on many factors, of which permanently profitable agriculture is vitally important. Some of the principles and practices essential for permanent and profitable agriculture under irrigation have been considered in this paper. Agriculture without irrigation in areas having less than fifteen centimeters rainfall, is a suicidal uneconomic venture. The increasing demand of water for agriculture may be met by intensive and extensive use of the available water resources. Thus, one of the major purposes of enquiry of the available water resources is to define the regional pattern of their quality, quantity and utilization. In fact there are three sources of water available to men i.e. surface water, ground water and ocean water. Thus, the surface water in the form of rivers, streams, and lakes are the most important sources to be used for irrigation purpose. The uses of irrigation are conditioned by several variables. “While low rain fall and its variable nature necessities the development of artificial means of moisture supply, the increasing use of fertilizers and to some extent of improved variety of seed make timely needs of water prerequisite.” There is little wonder that, most of the successful green revolution areas in India are of the high intensity irrigation, adequate and timely moisture supply is a sin-qua-non in the new agriculture and its success in linked closely with the development of irrigation. The problem of low agricultural productivity can be tackled by improving farm facilities and irrigation facilities. Irrigation disparity accounts for a substantial amount of variation in agricultural output between regions. If constant supply of water is ensured, transformation and expansion of agriculture can take place. Without irrigation very little can be expected from extensive cultivation. Besides, irrigation helps greatly in raising the yield of land. Besides this enables the application of other modern inputs like fertilizers, high yielding verities of seeds and other insecticides and pesticides. This aspect is of more significant in case of Dharwad district. In the foregoing analysis, an evaluation of the aspects of irrigation in Dharwad district has been made in detail, in order to understand the role and impact of irrigation in the development of agriculture. Study area: Dharwad district is located in the western sector of the Northern half of Karnataka state. The district encompasses an area of 4263 sq km laying between the latitudinal parallels of 15°-01 N to 150-451 North and longitudes of 740-451 to 750-301 East. The district is bound on the north by the district of Belguam, on the east by the district of Gadag, on the south Haveri and on the west by Uttar Kannada district. All these districts, which surround Dharwad district, belong to Karnataka state itself (Fig 1). The district lies approximately about 800 meters above the Mean Sea Level that is why it enjoys a moderate and healthy climate. The district may be divided into 3 natural regions, viz., the Malnad, Semi-Malnad and Maidan. These regions, on an average, receive moderate to heavy rain fall and have dense vegetation. Kalghatagi taluk and Alnavar of Dharwad taluk in particular receive more rain fall than other taluks of the district. Administratively it consists of 5 taluks viz. Dharwad, Hubli, Kalghatgi, Kundgol and Navalgund, 6 urban agglomerations, 127 village panchayatas, and 372 inhabited villages As per the 2011 census the total population of the district is 1846993, out of which 939127 male and 907866 is the female population, while 45.02% of rural and 54.97% urban population, the density of the population of Dharwad district is 434 persons/per sq km. The literacy rate in Dharwad district is 80.30%, while sex ratio is 967 females per 1000 males. The district is a place for people belonging to various religions like Hinduism, Islam, Jainism and Christianity. The study area is distributed in three important river basins viz. the Bennihalla basin which covers Navalgund and Hubli taluks, and Bedti and Tatti hall covers Dharwad and Kalghatgi taluks. These three tributaries drain about 27 per cent of the total area under study, and play an important role in the irrigation facilities of the area. On the agricultural front, the presence of black soil helps in raising crops like cotton, wheat, ragi, jowar and oilseeds and that of red soil is more suitable for paddy.