STUDY ON THE PROBLEM OF IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT TAWA COMMAND WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO NASIRABAD DISTRIBUTARY

Abstract

Tawa project is first major irrigation project constructed in the Narmada valley in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh. The project has been designed for Annual irrigation of 332.78 T.ha with irrigated cropping intensity of 138 % & 125 % on left and Right Bank Canal System respectively: The Rabi Irrigation in the command has been achieved to the extent of irrigation intensity of 71% against the design intensity of 67 %, while the development of Kharif and summer irrigation is almost nil against 64.8 and 3 % of project design ICA._x000D_ The design annual irrigation has not been achieved in the project even after 'the 22 years after irrigation development. The Kharif cropping pattern has been transformed by adoption of Soyabean as main crop of Kharif. Farmers of the command prefer only rainfed cultivation of Kharif crops as there is about 1100 mm rainfall during the monsoon. Only protective irrigation of Kharif is given by farmers in the time of failure of monsoon. The possibility of Kharif development in the command . in general is limited to protective irrigation only. Summer crops sown in the command by private irrigation is also very little. There is about 0.68 TMC live storage balance in Tawa reservoir after Rabi Irrigation on 31 March almost every year, The under utilisation of reservoir storage is mainly due to non achievement of Annual irrigation in command....