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| AGRICULTURE TRIBUNE | Monday, July 7, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
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Rural
poverty intractable Haryana
water resources on the edge
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Rural poverty intractable
Extending benefits to India's nearly 6 lakh villages and improving the living standards of rural people, particularly of those below the poverty line, have been avowed goals of India's planning. Despite five decades of planning, there is still a long way to go in achieving these goals. For a household of five members, the poverty line is represented by an annual income of Rs 11,060 (1991-92 prices). Per capita it comes out to Rs 3,704 at current prices. It is an accepted fact that the major determinants of per-capita rural income are gross cropped area per person, and per-hectare income generated. The gross cropped area per hectare in India is only 0.30 hectare in rural areas, indicating that there is a heavy population pressure. According to a study conducted by the Economics and Statistics Organisation, Haryana, the gross value from agriculture per hectare at current prices in Haryana in 2000-01 was Rs 41,323. Using this statistics the income generated, i.e., the net value added per hectare was found to be Rs 2,153 only. The agricultural income per rural person is estimated at Rs 646 if the gross value from agriculture per hectare from Haryana is taken (0.30 x Rs 2153). The availability of the gross cropped area per rural person will decrease given the fast population growth. The average size of the rural household is reckoned at 5.6. The per-capita consumption expenditure of these households is estimated at Rs 1,560, just for survival. Thus the annual expenditure each of these households comes out to Rs 8,936, while the total farming income would be just Rs 3673 (Rs 646 x 5.6). This income falls well short of the minimum level required to keep the body and soul together, leave alone other necessities of life like medical care and education. Traversing to the pathological nature of the agrarian structure, an analysis of the number of operational holdings by major size classes of farms — marginal farmers having less than 1 hectare, small farmers 1 to 2 hectares and semi-medium farmers with 4 to 10 hectares and large farmers with 10 hectares and above — reveals that nearly 75 per cent of the holdings fall within 2 hectares, having area of hardly 26 per cent. These rural small and marginal households numbering 78.9 million having a total of 441.84 million people can be considered as hardcore rural poor. On an average, the suggested consumption for a household would be Rs 11,537 now. This leads to the conclusion that the consumption level of small farmers is far below the nutritional requirements. The poverty estimation by the Planning Commission thus appears to be rather misleading. Not long ago, Kheti Virasat, Delhi, a voluntary organisation, had conducted a survey in three villages of Punjab. According to the study, in Mandikhurd village, with a population of 1400 and average land holding of 1 to 5 acres, the debt per farmer varied from Rs 6 lakh to 10 lakh. In Ramanvas village-population 1970, average holding 4 acres-the average debt per farmer was Rs 4 lakh. In Harkishanpura village of 900 people and 12 acres average holding the debt per head was between Rs 4 and 6 lakh. First the farmers mortgaged their lands to raise loans from private lenders. Unable to repay, they sold off their lands. In Mandikhurd, Ramanvas and Harkishanpura villages farmers sold 300, 100 and 300 acres, respectively, to outsiders to overcome their debts, but they failed. A few farmers were forced to embrace death when they failed to attain relief even after selling their lands. When agriculture fails to meet the basic needs of even farmers in Punjab, a state with more than 80 per cent of the total area under assured irrigation, the fate of those having dry and parched lands or rain-fed lands in other parts of the country can well be imagined. If one looks at the features of Indian farming, heavy concentration of area under food crops will be noticed. Agricultural prices, especially of food grains, are depressed not by market price, but by price controls and other measures. The agricultural price policy ignores the cost element and distributive justice and also the long-term adverse effect on capital and technology transfers to the rural economy. Reasonable return to farm products should be provided during the initial stage of development and should always be kept slightly higher than the non-farm products. This argument stems from the fact that the present emphasis is on employment, rural development, meeting the basic needs and income distribution. In recent years certain developing countries tried to keep agricultural prices low. They experienced slow growth, both in agricultural and overall production. The price policy now pursued by the industrial countries is in favour of agriculture rather than industry-stimulated farm production to a significant extent. The basic tragedy in our economic system is that agricultural prices are kept down and the prices of manufactured products at a fairly higher level. The peasants are basically the primary producers and do not have the wherewithal to process. The benefits of value addition accrue only to the manufacturers. This is a major dichotomy in our economic system—a mere processor becomes wealthy while the basic producer struggles to have a decent living. There is now a strong plea for diversification of crops to improve the economic condition of small farmers. It will not redress peasants' miseries till the farm trade and agro-processing business goes in the hands of peasantry. |
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Haryana
water
resources on the edge Haryana contains hardly 42 per cent fresh groundwater aquifers while Punjab has them nearly 80 per cent. The water table declines to more than 60-150 ft in major fresh-water regions of Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Panipat districts, whereas it has a further fall of about 200 ft in southern parts comprising Mahendragarh, Rewari, Gurgaon, Faridabad and parts of Bhiwani districts. The central and western Haryana region under canal irrigation has saline aquifers underground and the water table rise in this belt at places has caused water logging and salinity, a more dreaded disease. The sustainability of fresh ground water reservoirs and effective functioning of more than 6 lakh private shallow tubewells installed in the state is threatened. Fresh ground water is limited: 20 ft-deep open wells had dried up two decades ago and farmers' shallow tubewells (70-150 ft deep) are also now drying up due to the continuous decline in the water table. The fall has lead to a crisis for irrigation and domestic water supplies, changes in water quality due to encroachment of saline water into fresh aquifers and pollution, excessive use of electricity, crop losses, and economic degradation in the areas of falling water table. Farmers' tubewells are not able to draw adequate ground water due to the decline in water table while more than 3100 deep tubewells now stand abandoned due to the closure of the Haryana State Minor Irrigation and Tubewell Corporation (HSMITC) a year ago. The health of nearly 3000 water supply tubewells of the Public Health Department is not good either.
Recharge potential lies unexploited The water table decline can be halted only by efficient groundwater management-creating a recharge network through the existing shallow and deep tubewells in the monsoon season, development of recharge basins, improvement by desilting old traditional open wells, ponds and tanks, water harvesting and conservation measures, diverting fresh flood waters to deficit areas, and systematic use of the limited ground-water resources. The state government should review the existing plans and formulate a concrete master plan for ground water resources recharge and utilisation. Government officials and people have visited Israel, which is practising a high level of integrated water management with optimum use of fresh ground water. But no effort seems to have been made to adopt the Israel model, which we need to plan and practise in our situation. Haryana took certain recharge measures as long ago as 1975-78 in the Narwana Branch, Delhi Branch and the Markanda river area, which were later abandoned, though found useful. In a second spell recharge measures were again initiated in 1999-2002, which were also disrupted with the closure of the HSMITC. The state receives about 9 million acre feet (maf) water and with run-off, percolation losses and “evapotranspiration” only half of it turns into consumptive use. The inter-state share of water is about 13 maf. The ground water is about 7 maf. The water demand for irrigation alone is more than 34 maf, which is much higher than the availability. Hence, total integrated water management is imperative to maintain appropriate levels of conjunctive use of surface and ground water. The state government needs to take concrete steps to avert wastage of flood water through rivers and drains. Weirs and barrages on the Ghaggar, Tangri and the Markanda rivers can help water diversion for irrigation in monsoon and recharge through irrigated fields. Dhanaura-Nalvi type of an inundation scheme in Kurukshetra-Karnal should find priority in implementation. All state deep tubewells lying unused and abandoned may be used as recharge wells in the monsoon period. Recharge basins should be developed. Every village and city should find "water parks", while the old open wells and ponds should be desilted for recharge. Farmers should employ their shallow tubewells for recharge during monsoon. Rich farmers should excavate recharge tanks in their fields. "Merbandi" on farms will effect water conservation and recharge to wells and tubewells. Rooftop rainwater recharge is widely applicable and urban and rural households should willingly participate in this programme. In southern Haryana, the Doham, Krishnawati and Sahibi rivers remain dry even in monsoon, which need revival. The state needs to generate awareness regarding ground water resources with people's involvement. The huge network of shallow and deep tubewells should be made sustainable. In this context it is imperative to establish an independent "ground water department" or "ground water authority" in Haryana. |
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Phenology: Kharsu tends to be a tall tree. Towards maturity, in about 100-150 years, it develops a profile somewhat like firs, its common associates growing side by side. Its bark is dark grey in colour. It splits in four-sided scales. The upper main bole and branches of crown tend to be covered with thick greyish brown loose moss. Kharsu has 5-10 cm x 3-7 cm sized elliptic to oblong, alternate leaves. They are thick, glabrous (smooth) and dark green above and rusty and tomentose (hairy) below. If not lopped, the old leaves are gradually shed throughout the year. The young ones appear during April-May. Flowering takes place during May-June. The globose (spherical) acorn type fruit appears during June-July and ripens by August-September. The seed ripens and is ready for collection by October-November. Silviculture:
The oaks being a global species, the Asian siblings are found in temperate and alpine zone from Afghanistan eastwards. Young kharsu flourishes well in sites having good sun filtering through mother trees or any other nurse species. It develops a deep tap route with a good net of other roots around. It occurs in cold climate along with firs, rhododendron, betulas, etc., at a level of 8000-10000 feet, in terrain experiencing 30 to 35ºC temperature and 110-240 cm of annual precipitation in the form of rain and or snow. Oaks prefer fertile, sandy-loam and moist soil with good drainage. Utility:
Since kharsu develops a deep tap route and a thick root net, it not only withstands wind and storms well, but also acts as a good soil binder. The foliage of all oaks in general and that of kharsu in particular is good fodder. The wood, weighing about 30-32 kg per cubic foot, is good fuel wood and makes excellent charcoal. It is prized for agricultural implements and construction work. Regeneration:
Kharsu seeds well nearly every year. Regeneration takes place naturally and adequately under mother trees. It also coppices well till middle age.
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Bhagwat
Singh Tanwar
