Water Management Constraints in Eastern

Indo-Gangetic Plain

P K Joshi and K K Datta

National Center for Agricultural Economics & Policy ResearchDev Prakash Shastry Marg, Pusa, New Delhi 110 012

25 February 2009

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Indo-gangetic plain in India

Trans Gangetic

Upper Gangetic

Middle Gangetic

Lower Gangetic

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Background

� Characteristics of Eastern IGP

� Low productivity, high unemployment, extreme poverty

� High rainfall; endowed with abundant good quality water

� Most fertile soils

� Irrigated area is extremely low compared to western

IGP

� Large area during winter season is kept fallow due to

non-availability of water

� Water management is a major concern

� Technical and socio-economic constraints limit adoption of available

water management options

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Objectives

� To document the available water management options for the

Eastern IGP

� To evaluate the financial and economic feasibility of different

water management options suited to eastern IGP

� To identify the constraints for non-adoption of available water

management options by different categories of farmers

� To assess the changing prospects of agriculture in Eastern IGP

under different scenario of water management options

� To propose strategies for larger adoption of improved water

management options in different categories of farmers

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Study area

� Eastern IGP

� Middle-Gangetic plain

� Northeastern plain; Eastern plain; Vindyan; Northeast plains; and South Bihar plains

� Lower-Gangetic plain

� Barid plains; Central alluvial plains; Alluvial coastal saline plains; and Rorh plains

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Regions, sub-regions and districts

Agro-climatic

region

Sub-region State/ district

1. Middle Gangetic Plains Region (a) North Eastern Plains U.P. : Bahraich, Gonda, Basti, Gorakhpur, Deoria

(b) Eastern Plains U.P. : Faizabad, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur,

Azamgarh, Ballia, Ghazipur, Varanasi

(c ) Vindyan U.P. : Mirzapur

(d) North Bihar Plains Bihar : Paschim Champaran, Prubi Champaran,

Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur,

Vaisali, Madhubani, Darbhanga and Samastipur

(e) North East Plains Bihar : Madhepura, Purnia, Katihar, Khogaria,

Begusarai and Saharsa

(f) South Bihar Plains Bihar : Bhojpur, Rohtas, Patna, Aurangabad,

Nalanda, Gaya, Nawada, Munger and Bhagalpur

1. Lower Gangetic Plain Region (a) Barind Plains West Bengal : West Dinajpur, Maldah

(b) Central Alluvial Plains Murshidabad, Nadia, Bardhaman, Hoogly, Hawrah

and Medinipur

(c) Alluvial Coastal Saline Plains North and South 24 Parganas,

(d) Rorh Plains Birbhum and Bankura

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Activities

� Documentation of the available water management

options

� Review the Perspective Plan and Annual Reports of ICAR Research

Complex for Easter Region

� Review the reports of AICRIP on water management

� Review IWMI research studies and other publications

� Review studies undertaken under NATP

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Activities

� Evaluate the financial & economic feasibility of

different water management options

� Review the government policies for irrigation water in different states

� Estimate item wise cost of available water management options

� Assess the feasibility of improved water management options, and

compare with the existing practices

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Activities

� Constraints to no-adoption of available water

management options

� Super impose characteristics of water management options over the agro-

ecoregion

� Technological

� Institutional (land size, land tenure system)

� Water related policies (water pricing; canal water distribution)

� Infrastructure (electricity, roads)

� Social (migration)

� Any other (drawn after RRA)

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Activities

� Assessment of changing prospects of agriculture as

a result of improved water management system

� Changing cropping patterns, and production portfolio

� Changing farm income, and employment

� Changing livelihood pattern

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

Activities

� Strategies for larger impacts of improved water

management options

� Develop policy matrix under different scenario

� Assess cost implications

� Assess needed policy and institutional responses

National Centre for Agricultural

Economics and Policy Research

� Study period

� 1 April 2009 to 31 December 2009

� Study team

� NCAP

� KK Datta and PK Joshi

� IASRI

� Exploring possibility to associate

� IWMI

� B R Sharma and Stefanos Xenarios