Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (), Pusa, Group Irrigation System: The way of Irrigation

Bihar is a pioneer state in agriculture sector in India and the huge population of Bihar fall in Agriculture and Agricultural allied activities for livelihood. The agro-climatic environment of Bihar is favourable for about all types of Crops. The land holding pattern in Bihar is scatter and more than 70% of farmer community belongs to marginal land holding segment. Bihar has established a milestone in the production of staple crops like Rice, Wheat, and Maize along with horticultural crops like Vegetables, Fruits (Like- Banana, Mango, Litchi, and Papaya), flowers and aromatic plants.

As cultivation of crops require different types of inputs like agrochemicals, seeds, machinery, irrigation etc. for the proper growth and development of plants to get desired productivity. Among these agricultural inputs, irrigation plays vital role in the holistic growth of crop plants and has direct impact upon the productivity. Generally, farmers depend upon rain for the irrigation in Bihar. Some other sources of irrigation like, canal, pond, shallow and deep diesel and electric tube wells etc. are being employed for the irrigation of the crops.

Due to dependency on rain and shallow ground water sources, the agriculture is being suffered from some severe problems of irrigation like late irrigation, inadequacy of water, failure of shallow water level etc. which directly hamper the production rate.

It is found that the unavailability of irrigation sources bring about chronicle constraint before the agriculture. It leads to poor and late plant growth, lower production etc. Proper, customized, eco friendly, economic and accessible sources of irrigation will resolve the major issue of irrigation of farmers which would minimize the cultivation cost also. Irrigation Scenario at AKRSP (I) Intervention Area

Samastipur is a district of Bihar, having huge base of agricultural production. The soil of is versatile in itself which is favourable for all types of crops like cereals, vegetables, fruits etc. In spite of this, the climate of Samastipur district is much favourable for the horticultural crops. Pusa, Tajpur and Samastipur blocks of respective district represent huge production of various types of vegetables like Potato, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Lady Finger, Cucumber, Point Gourd etc. throughout the year. The vegetable produce of these areas are being exported within the district as well as outside the district (Included other nearest states like Jharkhand).

However, the respective agriculture zone is being suffered from irrigation problems due to unavailability of proper irrigation sources and system.

The existing irrigation source of these blocks is commonly represented by shallow ground water, ponds merely.

Particularly, in summer season, the ground water level falls down in this area which directly hampers the irrigation facilities with results in decreased level of productivity. Most of the vegetables are cultivated in summer season in these areas but being not cultivated due to failure of existing or traditional irrigation facilities.

Fig:- Existing Traditional Irrigation Source

Impact on Agriculture “After an innovative intervention of AKRSP (I) through Group Irrigation System”

AKRSP (I) had traced the severe problem of irrigation at his working location and try to resolve it through establishing Group Irrigation System on piloting basis. The First GI system has been established at chakhaj village of Samastipur block in 2013. This GI system has been established with the help of community of two villages named as; Chakhaji & Bankurwa which belongs from two different panchayats named as; Roopnarayanpur Bela & Chandauli and two different blocks named as; Samastipur & Pusa of Samastipur district. This innovative model of irrigation facility has become functional from January 2013 and approximately 25 acre of agriculture land has been covered under it. 127 farmers of two panchayats are being irrigated their land thorough this irrigation system. However, this was the first foothold for the solution of irrigation issue. Since the existence, the GI system is being producing satisfactory result and providing irrigation of covered land across the year. Before establishment of GI, farmers were unable to raise crops throughout the year especially in summer season while now they are able to raise choice based seasonal crops.

Traditional existing sources of irrigation irrigate the land at 1-1.5 katha/hr /RS120 whereas GI system irrigates the land at 3-4katha/hr/RS 120. Due to this frequency, farmers also save their expenditure of irrigation up to 60% which lead to minimal input cost. The yield of crops also increased up to 30%.The income of Farmer’s who are benefited to GI system is increased up to 20%.

After existence of GI, a surprising awareness also induced among the farmers, to irrigate the land as per requirement rather to irrigate the land without need. Such type of awareness is really relevant to save water especially ground water. Due to existence of GI system, farmers raise vegetables in summer season and get benefited in a minimum input cost which uplifts their living standard through agriculture based source of livelihood.

A very important fact is that, GI system is functional through a group, named Sichai Vikas Samiti which comprises community members. This reflects the integral coordination, effort of community to operate and maintain it without any major conflictions. After success of this model, AKRSP (I) , Pusa has established 3 new such type of modified systems in year 2014-2015 at working location.

Group Irrigation (GI)

Irrigation has always been a problem in the area of Chandauli and Chakhaji villages of Samastipur district. This area is well known for vegetable cultivation but due to the high input cost of irrigation; final production cost becomes double. As a results the outcome (in terms of money) would becomes almost half. During the summer season the intensity of irrigation problem becomes high. To address that irrigation problem in the area; AKRSP (I) supported the farmers to establish a deep boring Group Irrigation facility with community owned distribution system. Capacity of this GI system is to irrigate the 22.5 of acres land.

Demographic Details of Bankurva (Chandauli) Pusa : Demographic Details of Chakhaji (Rupnarayanpur Bela) Samastipur :

District Samastipur 9 km Samastipur 10 KM

Sub Division Samastipur 9 km. Samastipur 10 KM. Block Pusa 15 km. Jitwarpur (Samastipur) 14km.

Gram Chandauli,, 1 km. Roopnarayanpur Bela, 1 km. Panchayat Nearest Market Pusa Road & Motipur(Tajpur) 4km & Pusa Road & Samastipur 5 km & 10 Km 9 Km Nearest PHC Chandauli 1 km. Raghunathpur Bela1km.

No. of OBC- 123 , EBC- 27 , SC - 47 OBC-102 ,EBC -19 , SC -43 Households Total -197 Total -164 Population Male – 603 Male – 471 Female -568 Female - 453 Total – 1171 Total – 924 Main crop Maize, Paddy, Wheat, Mung,Urad, Maize, Paddy, Wheat, Bitter gourd, Bottle Bokli, Arhar, Bitter gourd, Bottle Gourd, Lady Finger, Tobacco, Mustard Gourd, Lady Finger, Mustard Turmeric, Potato, Cauliflower, Cabbage, and ,Coriander ,Cauliflower ,Cabbage, Tomato. Tomato, Chili ,Radish, Potato ,Onion, Brinjal, Pea, Garlic and Turmeric Source of Migrants, Agricultural labor, Migrants, ,Agricultural labor, unskilled labor Livelihood unskilled labor, Agriculture Farming

Details of GI (Analysis) Year and month of establishment December 2013 Installation Place Chakhaji Purvi Tola (Samastipur) & Bankurva Tola (Pusa) Total no of beneficiary benefited 143 from this GI activity Total Irrigation capacity of GI Full catchments capacity of the system is 25 Acres of land; but (Full catchments capacity) currently it’s covering about 22.5 acre patch of land. Till now irrigated from GI 19.2 Acre Till now beneficiary benefited 103 farmer from GI Source of irrigation before this GI 2 Small Pumps with capacity of 5 HP. Cost of irrigation before GI Rs. 120/hr Irrigation per hour before GI 1 kattha/hr Cost of irrigation after GI Rs. 120/hr Irrigation per hour after GI 3 Kattha /hr Cost benefit Before the installation of GI the irrigation cost per Kattha was Rs. 120; but after installation of Group irrigation it becomes minimize to Rs. 40/ per kattha only. It shows that the input cost on irrigation reduced to 1/3rd at one time.

For a crop cycle i.e. Maize, it requires 7 times irrigation. If we calculate the total input cost towards irrigation earlier it was total Rs. 840 per kattha while the cost after GI becomes Rs. 280 only. Analysis after GI installation Before installation of GI most of the area was uncultivated in Zaid (Crop pattern change)** season (without crop). Farmers cultivated maize on only few patch of land and they gets 60 kg yields form one kattha while after installation of GI almost all of the farmer grow same crop but they **As per interaction with gets double yield in same patch of land 125kg/ kattha. beneficiary farmer Mr. Dinesh Prasad Singh.

Financial Analysis Before installation of GI farmer get per acres #Rs.13500/- (on the basis of production of 60 kg per kattha) but after installation of GI we have analyze through interaction with farmer they get tremendous returns from this GI per acre ^^Rs.28125/- (the yield becomes almost double i.e. 125 kg per kattha )

Net Profit :- 28125 -13500 = Rs.14625/-in one season in one crop. Summary If we observe we can clearly see that after GI installation the inputs cost for irrigation becomes 3 times lower; other hand the outputs (increased yield) becomes doubled. So we can say that within the short period of 6 months only this group irrigation system supported the farmers in tremendous way.

# 60 x 22.5 @10 per Kg = Rs. 13500 only per Acres

^^ 125 x 22.5 @10 per Kg = Rs. 28125 only per acres