DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS St. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE (Autonomous) (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli) TIRUCHIRAPPALLI – 620 002. Dr. G. GNANASEKARAN M.A., M.B.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Head & Research Advisor. CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled “AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF FARMERS IN PULLAMBADI CANAL OF TIRUCHIRAPPALLI AND ARIYALUR DISTRICTS, TAMIL NADU” submitted by Mr. G. IRUTHAYARAJ (Reg. No. 011148 / Ph.D.2 / Economics / F.T. / July 2007) is a bonafide record of research work done by him under my guidance as a full time scholar in the Department of Economics, St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli and that the thesis has not previously formed the basis for the award to the candidate of any degree or any other similar title. The thesis is the outcome of personal research work done by the candidate under my overall supervision. (G. GNANASEKARAN) Station: Tiruchirappalli Date : DECLARATION I hereby declare that the work embodied in this thesis has been originally carried out by me under the guidance and supervision of Dr. G. GNANASEKARAN , Head and Research Advisor, Department of Economics, St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli - 620 002. This work has not been submitted either in full or in part for any other degree or diploma at any university. (G. IRUTHAYARAJ) Research Scholar Place: Tiruchirappalli Date : ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to place on record the valuable help rendered by various people to complete this dissertation work. I would like to express my profound sense of gratitude to my research adviser and Best Teacher Awardees Dr. G. Gnanasekaran M.A., M.B.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Head and Associate Professor of Economics, for his stimulating guidance by spending his valuable time with me in sharpening my thinking and analysis, valuable suggestions and continuous encouragement throughout the study. I sincerely and whole heartedly thank Rev. Dr. A. Sebastian SJ , Principal, St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), the Management of St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli my Alma Matter, for having kindly permitted me to carry out this research work. My sincere thanks to University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi for permitting me to do this research work under Faculty Development Programme. I am grateful to Dr. R. Rajendran , Associate Professor of Economics, Periyar E.V.R. College, Tiruchirappalli, Member, Doctoral Committee for providing useful tips to this study. I wish to express my cordial thanks to Dr. Sanmugavadivelu, Dean Academic, Dr. Stephen Vincent , Department of Statistics, St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli for editing the questionnaire and processed the data with the help of SPSS. I am specially thankful to those staff in the Public Works Department Pullambadi Canal Section Tiruchirappalli, especially Thiru. Ashokan, Junior Engineer who provided me the necessary secondary data for this study. I express my gratefulness to the various authors of the valuable literatures and articles referred for this study. I extend my thanks to Dr. D. Kumar, Reader in Economics, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli for his unstinted support through out this study. My sincere gratitude to the staff of the libraries viz., St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli, District Central Library, Tiruchirappalli, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Irrigation Management Training Institute, Thuvakkudi, Tiruchy and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore . I feel obliged to the sample farmers of the various villages not only for helping me in supplying the necessary information but also for their cooperation and hospitality extended to me during my visit. And also I am very much thankful to Mr. G. Johnson, Mr. M. Lawrence, Mr. R. Kamaraj, Mr. K. Jesuraj, Mr. John, (Videographer) Thiru. A. Meenachi Sundaram (Secretary Water Users Association, Alambakkam) have helped me at the time of data collection to elicit the cooperation from the farmers, as they are well reputed persons in the study area. As a personal note I feel quite indebted to my parents, my wife Mrs. Latha and my daughters for all their support, cooperation and encouragement in my academic endeavours including this study. Finally I am thankful to Golden Net Computers, Tiruchirappalli-2 for the neat typing work of this dissertation in an excellent form. G. IruthayaIruthayarrrrajajajaj CONTENTS Chapter No. Title Page No. I. Introduction 1 II. Review of Literature 10 III. Profile of the Study Area 99 IV. Analysis and Interpretation of data 129 V. Findings, Suggestions and Conclusion 258 Bibliography B1 Appendices (i) Questionnaire A1 (ii) Government Order A24 (iii) Paper Published A29 LIST OF TABLES Table Page Title No. No. 3.1 Census of India 2011 Tamil Nadu Provisional Population Data Sheet 101 3.2 Census of India 2011 Tamil Nadu Provisional Population Data Sheet 103 3.3 Lalgudi Taluk – Revenue Villages 105 3.4 Details of Sources of Irrigation in Tiruchirappalli District 108 3.5 Ariyalur District 111 3.6 Number of Blocks 112 3.7 Number of Taluks 112 3.8 Ariyalur Taluk – Revenue Villages 113 3.9 Pullambadi Canal Ayacut Statement 118 3.10 Storage position of tanks as on 28.10.2007 119 3.11 Hydraulic Particulars of Tanks under Pullambadi Canal System 121 from Mile 32/2 to 52/2 3.12 List of Encroachment Tanks in Ariyalur District 124 4.1 Taluk wise Classification of Respondents 129 4.2 District wise Classification of Respondents 130 4.3 Cultivation of Land on the basis of Sex 131 4.4 Age Composition of the Respondents 132 4.5 Education 133 4.6 Community 134 4.7 Religion 135 4.8 Secondary Occupation 136 4.9 Family Members Engaged in Agriculture 137 4.10 Farm Experience of the Respondents 138 4.11 Average size of the holdings according to districts 139 4.12 Pattern of land holdings in different regions 140 4.13 Type of Farmers 141 4.14 Average land holding 142 4.15 Cultivable Area 143 4.16 Value of the Produce (in `) 145 4.17 Cropping Pattern on the basis of Farmers 147 4.18 Changing Cropping Pattern 149 4.19 Wet Crops 150 4.20 Dry Crops 151 4.21 Reasons for Changing Crops 152 4.22 Change of Cropping Pattern 154 4.23 Expectations of the Respondents about the water received for 156 Paddy cultivation 4.24 Availability of water for the Paddy growers 157 4.25 Impact of expectation of water on cropping pattern 158 4.26 Expectation of water for Sugar cane cultivation 159 4.27 Water received for Sugar cane cultivation 160 4.28 Change in canal water supply status 161 4.29 Causes for reduction of water supply 162 4.30 Change in canal water status 2001-2005 163 4.31 Reasons for reduction in water supply 164 4.32 Change in canal water supply 165 4.33 The reasons attributed to the changes in the water supply 166 4.34 Effect of reduction in the water on the cropping pattern 167 4.35 Water Required for the Crops 168 4.36 Water delivered at the distributaries 170 4.37 Water delivered at the distributaries for Sugar cane 171 4.38 Reasons for Inadequacy of supply of water 172 4.39 Reasons for adequacy of supply of water 174 4.40 Critical period of water use 175 4.41 Critical period of water use and the period of crop 176 4.42 Critical period and the availability of water 177 4.43 Supplementary sources of canal water 178 4.44 Present Irrigational Status of the Farmers 179 4.45 Bore well depth 180 4.46 Horse power used by farmers to lift the water for irrigation 182 4.47 Opinions of the Respondents about the Maintenance of the Canal 183 4.48 Receiving share of water 186 4.49 Chi-square test for Regions and Type of Irrigation 187 4.50 Water reaches every plot of holding falling within the field channel 188 4.51 Chi-square Test for Regions and Effectiveness of Field Channels 189 4.52 Reasons for water not reaching every plot of holding falling 190 within the field channel 4.53 Chi-Square Test for Regions and the Reasons for water not 191 reaching all the plots 4.54 Mode of draining out excess water 192 4.55 Distance from the main canal 193 4.56 Field channel between outlet and their holding 194 4.57 Excavation of Field Channel 195 4.58 Chi-Square Test for Regions and Periodicity of Excavation Work 196 4.59 Cost of Irrigation 197 4.60 Amount spent by the respondents to maintain field channels 198 4.61 Chi-Square Test for Regions and the Amount Spent on Field 199 Channels 4.62 Reasons for not Excavating the Field Channels 200 4.63 Water Supplied in this area 201 4.64 Practice of Night Irrigation 202 4.65 Farmers Practicing Night Irrigation 203 4.66 Difficulties in Night Irrigation 204 4.67 Problems related to Irrigation 205 4.68 Extralegal Practices 207 4.69 Volume of Information Received by the Respondents 209 4.70 Irrigation Efficiency 211 4.71 Water Use Efficiency of the Study Area 212 4.72 Regression Model for Water Use Efficiency 215 4.73 The Impact of Irrigation on Farm Investment 217 4.74 Institutional Arrangement 218 4.75 Constitution of Water User Association 219 4.76 Participation of Irrigation Department Officials in the Water 220 Users Association Meeting 4.77 Functioning of Water Users Association 221 4.78 Reasons for not forming of Water Users Association 222 4.79 Suggestions to form Water Users Association 223 4.80 Training Programme for Water Users Association Members 224 4.81 Meeting took place under Water Users Association 225 4.82 Opinions of Respondents about the Role of Water Users Association 226 4.83 Contribution of Farmers towards the formation and working of 230 WUA 4.84 Farmers Contribution towards WUA 231 4.85 Factors lead to the success of WUA 232 4.86 Chi-square Test for Prioritising