COMMAND AREA DEVELOPMENT

The irrigation potential created by the development of a large number of major and medium irrigation projects has quite doubled since independence. However, the available irrigation potential has always been under-utilized and therefore the optimum benefits by way of increased production haven't been fully realised. Several studies are made to analyse the reasons for inefficient and continued under-utilisation of obtainable irrigation potential and unsatisfactory increase in agricultural production in irrigated areas. The Second Irrigation Commission and the National Commission on Agriculture recommended an integrated command area development programme for optimising benefits from available irrigation potential. The objectives of the programme were as follows (9):

(i) Increasing the world of irrigated land by proper land development and water management.

(ii) Optimising yields by adopting the simplest cropping pattern consistent with the availability of water, soil, and other local conditions.

(iii) Bringing water to the farmer’s field instead of only to the outlets and thus assuring equitable distribution of water and adequate supply to tailenders.

(iv) Avoiding wastage and misuse of water.

(v) Optimising the utilization of scarce land and water resources, including spring water where available, in conjunction with necessary inputs and infrastructure.

The command area development programme may be a series of coordinated measures for optimising the advantages from the irrigated agriculture. a number of these measures are (8):

(i) Scientific crop planning suited to local soil and climate .

(ii) Consolidation of holdings and levelling/shaping of lands.

(iii) Provision of field channels to make sure equitable distribution of water to the farmer’s field.

(iv) Ensuring the availability of other inputs (good quality seeds, fertilisers, etc.).

(v) Construction of rural roads, markets, storages, and other infrastructural facilities in the command areas of irrigation projects.

The Second Irrigation Commission (10) stressed the necessity for a programme of integrated command area development involving cooperative efforts among the State Departments of Irrigation, Agriculture, farming , Community Development, Finance and Public Works and other institutions like Agriculture Refinance Corporation, exploitation Banks, Commercial Banks, etc. The commission suggested the formation of a special administrative agency for the coordinated and expeditious development of command areas under major and medium irrigation projects. The functions of such agencies would be to assign tasks to varied departments and institutional organisations to enforce coordination among them and to make sure the implementation of the agreed programme. As a result, in 1973, State Governments were requested to line up Command Area Development Authorities for 50 irrigation projects in the country.

In December 1974, the formation of a Central Sector Scheme for Command Area

Development Programme in selected irrigated commands was approved by the govt of India. This programme included the subsequent components (8) :

(i) Modernisation and efficient operation of the irrigation system.

(ii) Development of a main system beyond the farmer’s blocks of 40 ha.

(iii) Construction of field channels and field drains.

(iv) Land shaping/levelling and consolidation of holdings.

(v) Lining of field channels/watercourses.

(vi) Exploitation of spring water and installation of tubewells.

(vii) Adoption and enforcement of an appropriate cropping pattern.

(viii) Enforcement of an appropriate rostering system on irrigation.

(ix) Preparation of an idea for the supply of key inputs like credit, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and implements.

(x) Making arrangements for timely and adequate supply of varied inputs.

(xi) Strengthening of existing extension, training, and demonstration organisations.

The National Commission on Agriculture emphasised the necessity for development of land in the command area in an integrated manner comprising the following actions (8):

(i) Layout of plots and of common facilities like watercourses, field channels, drains and farm roads.

(ii) Consolidation of farmers’ scattered plots into one or two operational holdings.

(iii) Construction of watercourses and field channels.

(iv) Construction of field drains where necessary and linking them with connecting drains.

(v) Provision of farm roads.

(vi) Land formation to acceptable slopes.

(vii) Introduction of the ‘warabandi’ system for rotational distribution of water.

For future irrigation projects, the National Commission on Agriculture suggested that the project report should be prepared within the following three parts (8):

Part I: All engineering works from source of supply to outlets, including drains.

Part II: All engineering works within the command area comprising land levelling and shaping, construction of watercourses, lined or unlined field channels, field drains, and farm roads.

Part II: All other items per agriculture, farming , forestry, communications, and cooperation.

Upto 1985, 102 projects covering an ultimate irrigation potential of 16.5 Mha has been included in Command Area Development Authorities (CADA) (11). In financial terms, the allocation within the sixth and the seventh five-year plans was Rs. 856 crores and Rs. 1,800 crores, respectively (5).