REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT OF DROUGHT PRONE AREAS NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF BACKWARD AREAS PLANNING COMMISSION GOVERNMENT OF INDIANEW DELHI SEPTEMBER, 1981 CONTENTS Sl.No. Pages Summary of Conclusions & Recommendations iii 1 Introduction iii 2 Criteria for Delineation of Drought Prone Areas iii 3 Review of Past iii-iv 4 Strategy of Development iv 5 Watershed Approach , viii 6 Role of Agro meteorology in Agricultural Planning x 7 Soil and Water Conservation x 8 Development of management of Irrigation xi 9 Crop Planning and productivity xii 10 Liverstock Development xv 11 Pasture Development and Range Management xvii 12 Horticulture Development xviii 13 Afforestation xix 14 Sand Dunes Stabilisation in Aried Area xxi 15 Solar Energy and Wind Power Uutilisation xxii 16 Strategy for Transport of Technology xxii 17 Nomad and Nomadism in Desert Area xxv 18 Organisational and financial Arrangements xxv 19 Acknowledgements Annexure CHAPTER 1 Annexure I District-wise population and Density Annexure II Land Utilisation and Irrigation in DPAP Districts CHAPTER 2 Annexure I Districts selected by the Secretaries Committee in 1971 and those recommended by the Gidwani Committee. Annexure II Areas Identified by the Irrigation Commission. Annexure III Drought Prone Areas Programme— Project Area of DPAP Annexure IV State-wise District Tehsil and area delineated as arid Annexure V Area under Desert Development Programme CHAPTER 3 Annexure I State-wise total Financial outlays and Expenditure under Rural Works Programme, 1970 73. Annexure II Statement showing the sector-wise expenditure under DPAP during IV Plan from 1974-75 to 31st August, 1980. Annexure III Key-Indicators of Physical Achievements of Major Activities Annexure IV Statement showing the Administrative Approval given to the Desert Development schemes* in Gujarat, Harayana and Rajasthan. CHAPTER 10 Annexure I Livestock breeds found in DPAP Districts 85 Annexure II Statement showing Statewise cumulative physical of sheep 88 cooperative Societies established under DPAP Districts from April, 1974 to March, 1980. Annexure III Sheep Cooperative Societies Establishment under IDA Assisted 88 DPAP Districts during the year 1978-79. Annexure IV Sheep production parameters-(Sheep Societies Vs Village 89 Flocks) (Average Impact of the year 1978-79). Annexure V Sheep Production param.ters-1978-79 (Sheep Societies Vs 89 Village Flocks) Annexure VI Sheep Development works on 100 Ha. plots in Rajasthan 91 Annexure VII Pasture Development Schemes in Rajasthan-Pre-Investment 93 Study by ARD in January, 1979. CHAPTER 11 Annexure I Technologies recommended by the Central Arid Zone Research 102 Institute for development of grass land and pasture. Annexure II Highlights of the research work done by the Grassland Research 103 Institute, Jhansi, under DPAP/ DDP Programmes of the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction. (Source, Min. of Rural Reconstruction). Annexure III Total Production of Dry Matter of Legume Species and Grasses 104 (In Tones per hectare) Annexure IV Grasses and Legumes adaptable in different rainfall conditions 104 are given below Annexure V Grasses and legumes adaptable for different landforms and 104 Habitats in the country. Annexure VI Evaluation of Pasture programme performance in IDA assisted 105 Districts Annexure VII Pasture species performance-summary of evaluations-IDA 105 assisted DPAP Districts, 1978-79 Annexure VIII Summary of pasture production estimates 1976-1979 (IDA 106 assisted DPAP District). CHAPTER 15 Annexure 1 125 APPENDIX CHAPTER 10 Appendix I Cost of pasture establishment under one hectare of land in the 96 project area (As per estimates of CSWRI, Avikanager). Appendix II List of miscellaneous articles given to stockmen in pasture plot 96 (100 hectare) Appendix III 97 CHAPTER 19 Appendix I Composition & terms of reference of Working Group on Rural 142 Development of N.C.D.B.A. Appendix II Questionnaire on Rural Development (Drought Prone Area 142 Development) SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1. INTRODUCTION 1. Apart from the size and the geographical spread of the drought prone areas, another important consideration why it is necessary to formulate and implement an appropriate development strategy for these areas is 'that they represent a major factor contributing to regional imbalances in development of the country. [Para 1.5] 2. As compared to other areas, the drought prone tracts are more vulnerable to ecological degradation, leading to an increasing economic dependency and social deprivation. [Para 1.7] 2. CRITERIA FOR DELINEATION OF DROUGHT PRONE AREAS 3. The water balance technique seems to be the logical approach for the objective of drought prone, area delineation. This approach takes into account precipitation, evapo- transpiration and soil moisture storage and attempts to arrive at a balance between wider income and water loss. The Committee is of the view that while this may be an ideal approach, it does not appear to be practical of this stage for delineation purposes owing to paucity of experimental data on evapo-transpiration, soil moisture over the semi- arid and tropical regions and evolution of appropriate area specific agro-climatic models. As the objective of this Committee is drought prone area amelioration for planning and implementation of programmes for this purpose this approach will be ideal, provided the basic data on the essentials can be developed. This will, how ever, take time. Our objective being to find means of increasing and stabilising productivity in the concerned area, it seems reasonable to follow, for our purposes a synoptic definition that a Block can be defined as drought affected if the pattern & quantum of rain-precipitation, during the main crop season of the area, makes the traditional cultivation of the main crop of the area hazardous in three years or more out of every 10 years. [Paras 2.14 & 2.15] 4. Till the necessary data is collected, and a scientific assessment of drought prone Blocks is done, the present area brought under a drought prone area programme may continue to be handled under the special area programmes. It has been pointed out to the Committee during, its discussions with the States that even following the, criterion now prevalent on the basis of which present identification has been done, there are marginal areas of Blocks which need to be brought within the drought prone area programme. The Committee would recommend that any such cases should be examined on merit on the existing definition and brought within the programme if they qualify. At the same time keeping in view the recommendations of the National Commission on Agriculture that a periodic review of these areas is necessary because of the developments that are continuously taking place, it would only be reasonable to expect that those Blocks which have already come to a level of development which will put them outside the drought prone area category, should be removed from the programme. [Para 2.16] 5. Whilst some new areas may qualify, some existing areas have to be deleted as non- qualifying. The Committee would, however, emphasise that a scientific delineation of areas is required if a scientific answer is to be found for the amelioration of the defect. [Para 2.17] 6. The list of the Districts and the Blocks in the State concerned which have been identified on the basis of the recommendations made by the National Commission on Agriculture and which have been taken up under the desert development programme, these may be looked into in case there has been any reorganisation of Districts or blocks. [Para 2.21] 3. REVIEW OF PAST AND CURRENT PROGRAMMES 7. The present approach is mainly confined to development of agriculture and allied sectors with its major focus on restoration of the eco logical balance. But for an integrated development of any area, agricultural sector alone can not help to achieve the desired objectives. One of the major reasons for deterioration in eco logical balance in these areas is the excessive pressure of population on 'land. Without providing alternative sources of income, any attempt to promote optimum use of land and water can not succeed inspite of the improved dry land agricultural practices. [Para 3.54] 8. Comprehensive planning aiming at abound development of the area has yet to be taken up. Even the basic survey of existing resources has not been completed and there has been lack of coordination between various agencies and programmes in the district for development. [Para 3.54] 9. The present concept is supposed to be based on the watershed approach. It was how ever only during last two or three years of the programme that attempts are being made to try out this concept and that too in a few districts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. But in most other districts, sectoral officers considered DPAP and DDP only as a source, of additional funds and intensified their activities without any attempt for integrated watershed development. The fundamental objectives of restoring ecological balance had not thus been able to get the desired attention. [Para 3.55 & 3.56] 10. Though in some .districts there was a mention of division of the, district into major and sub-watersheds in the master plan, the actual planning and implementation were not done on the basis of watershed approach. In most districts, the land and soil capability surveys, the resources inventory etc. have not been fully completed. [Para 3.57] 11. In an integrated area development programme for the effective implementation of the approach, funding and expenditure should be controlled by the same agency. Unfortunately, however, this is not so. The programme for infrastructure development is substantially de pendent on outlays in the State Sector. The priorities of the State organisations controlling such outlays meant for the entire State is, how ever, seldom in compatibility with the priorities of the drought prone area development administration. [Para 3.61] 12. Conceptually, an area development programme cannot and should not be designed on the basis of a certain fixed sum of money being repeated every year.