GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE OF RESEARCH AREA INDEX CHAPTER 4
GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE OF RESEARCH AREA 129 TO 139
4 .1 GENERAL
4 .2 GEOGRAPHICAL AREA
4 .3 PHYSIOGRAPHY
4 .4 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
4 .5 SOIL
4 .6 CROPS
4 .7 NATURAL WEALTH
4 .8 POPULATION
4.9 TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNICATION
4 .1 0 CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN SANGAMNER TALUKA 4. 10.1 Ahmednagar District Centra! Co-Operative Bank Ltd. 4. 10.2 Nagar Urban Co-Operative Bank Limited 4. 10.3 Land Development Bank 4. 10.4 Sangamner Bhag Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. 4. 10.5 Agricultural Credit Societies Ltd. 4. 10.6 Co-Operative Sale and Purchase Unions Ltd. 4. 10.7 Agricultural Processing Societies Ltd. 4. 10.8 Dairy Societies 4. 10.9 Consumers' Co-Operative Societies Ltd. 4. 10.10 Co-operative Banks Ltd. 4. 10.11 Urban Credit Co-operative Societies Ltd. 4. 10.12 Co-operative movement in Sangamner Taluka
G CHAPTER 4 HICAL PROFILE OF :a r c h a r e a
t and social changes are a dire necessity
itry like ours, and co-operation is an
a process of momentous growth and
it economic set-up can be accelerated by
ulture and rural crafts. Co-operation has
of organization in many branches of economic life.
The co-operative movement made a humble beginning in the district in 1909, and showed signs of gradual and steady progress till
1947. Real momentum was however gained only after Independence.
Since the introduction of the Five-Year Plans with an emphasis on rural development, the co-operative movement advanced with a rapid pace. Ahmednagar district has made remarkable progress in the field of co-operation. In fact, a bulk of economic development li? this traditionally famine stricken district is attributable to the growth of co operative sugar factories in turn benefited the agriculturists, who get a substantial income from sugarcane cultivation. The reverberating development of the areas around Shrirampur, Kopergaon, Rahuri,
129 Sangamner and Ahmednagar is mainly due to the benefits accruing from tiie co-operative movement.
4.2 GEOGRAPHICAL AREA:
For the present study Sangamner tahsil of Ahmednagar district
(Maharashtra) is selected as a study area, because ;
1. The study area has a long tradition of co-operative movement.
Moreover, it has shown considerable increase in the field of co
operative banking sector as well as credit society in the last
two decades.
2. The trade, agriculture, education, agro-based activities and
small scale industries are the major economic activity in the
tahsil for increasing the co-operative sector.
4 .3 PHYSIOGRAPHY:
The study area is situated in the Pravara basin. It is 70 kms away from where the river rise. It is an important city in Ahmednagar district. Pravara is main tributary of the Godavary River. The tahsil is irregular in shape. The tahsil is partly on account of its size and partly on account of its location immediately adjoining the crest of the
Sahyadries. The Pravara is an important river in this tahsil. It originates in Akola tahsil in the eastern slopes of the Sahyadries. It has a length of about 35 k.m. within the tahsil. The pravara has immensely benefited the tahsil with its irrigation system, which has converted a part of the tahsil into one of the most prosperous and
130 LOCATIONL MAP
w
SANGAMNER TAHASIL
131 productive belt or strip in the district. The Mula, the Adhala and the
Mhalungi are other important tributaries of the Pravara river in this taluka. One thing should be remarkable that due to confluence of
Pravara, Adhala and Mhalungi rivers, town got name "SANGAMNER"
"SHIRDI" is 50 kms from Sangamner and "SHINGANAPUR" is 70 kms from Sangmner. The taluka lies between Karhe Ghat and
"Chandanapuri Ghat' Sakur pleautue and Sinnar Plearutue.
4.4 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS:
The climate of the study area is characterized by a hot summer
and general dryness expect during the southwest monsoon season.
The year can be divided into four seasons. The cold season from
December to February is followed by the hot season from March to
the first week of June. The southwest monsoon season is from the
second week of June till the end of September while October and
November constitute the post monsoon or retreating monsoon season.
TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL OF THE YEAR 2002
Sr. Month Temperature °C Rainfall (mm) No.
1 January 22.5 —
2 February 25 --
3 March 30 —
4 April 32 11
5 May 37 —
132 6 June 33.2 125
7 July 31 16
8 August 26 39
9 September 28 19
10 October 29 —
1 1 November 26 —
12 December 21 —
Source - IMD, Pune.
The average annual rainfall in the tahsil 41.375 m.m. The distribution of rainfall is very uneven. The western part of the taluka gets good rainfall and the rainfall decreases as one proceeds towards east. The Study area mostly lies in the rain shadow to the east of the
Sahyadries. September is the rainiest month. About 77 percent of the annual rainfall is received during the southwest monsoon season. The variation in rainfall from year to year is large.
Seasonal variation in temperature is quite large. From March onwards is a period of continuous increase in day temperatures, the nights remaining comparatively cool. May is the hottest month of the year with the mean daily maximum temperature at 38.9 °C. On individual days temperatures 0 occasionally rise to 43° or 44°C and minimum of 19.8 °C and average temperature ‘of Sangamner is 37°C in Summer and in Winter 18°C. During the southwest monsoon season the air is generally dry particularly so in the afternoons. Skies
133 are generally clear or lightly clouded to overcast. Winds are generally
in force with some strengthening during the monsoon season.
Thunderstorms occur during the months of March to June and
in September and October.
4.5 SOIL:
The soils of the tahsil can broadly be classified into three
groups viz. Regur Soil red or tambat and laterite and the gray of
inferior quality locally known as barad. Near the Pravara rivers wide
Belo of deep rich sail are found. The soils in the Mula valley on the
other hand are comparatively lighter, in the Adhala vally, there is a
good deal of fertile land bordering the riverbanks. Further up in the
hilly areas to the west part of the tahsil red soil derived by residual
weathering of the basalts in a tropical humid climate.
4.6 CROPS:
About one third land in the Sangamner is under cultivation.
Wheat, Jowar and bajara are the three main crops of the plateau.
Pulses mainly tur and gram are often grown as mixed crops. The both
side of the Pravara and the Mula occur rich soil, a reddish sandy loam,
and chopan soil, which are admirably suited for horticulture.
Sugarcane is also important cash crop in this tahsil depends on well
irrigation such as lift irrigation and canal irrigation. Sugar factory is the
nerve centre of overall development of the Sangamner agriculture.
134 4.7 NATURAL WEALTH:
Deccan Trap basaltic lava flows monotonously covers the study as a whole. The lava flows are almost horizontal in disposition but local gentle tilting, undulations and minor flexures are sometimes seen. Other recent deposits such as river alluvium, sands, grovel, silts and calcareous concretions, known as Kankar are also found in the
Pravara basins.
4.8 POPULATION:
During in 1981-91 Sangamner tahsil registered a growth rate of
26.53 percent added with an addition of 74.400 souls. The total population of the study area is 3,54,808 (1991). The density of population in the tahsil is 210 per sq. km. The sex ratio of the tahsil is
953. The population of scheduled castes is 29,120 and scheduled tribes 30,524 in 1991 census. The literacy rate of population in the study area is 61.39 % in 1 991.
4.9 TRANSPORTATION AND COIVIIVIUNICATION :
The study area is favored by transportation facilities in the form of Kolhar-Ghoti State Highway No. 44 Nashik-Pune National Highway
No. 50 and other district roads. No railway and waterways are available in this tahsil. Modern means of communication are. used for speedy communication on the national and international level in city.
135 4.10 CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN SANGAMNER TALUKA:
4.10.1 Ahmednagar District Central Co-Operative Bank Ltd. : Tine
District Central Co-Operative Bank was established at
Ahmednagar in 1958. It has been working as federal central
financing agency catering to the requirements of all the primary
credit societies in the district. Since 1962, the Zilla Parishad
also transacts its financial business through’ this bank. In
Sangamner Taluka there are 50 branches of ADCC.
4.10.2 Nagar Urban Co-Operative Bank Limited : The bank was
established at Ahmednagar in 1910 and has now extended its
area of operation over the entire district. There are 2 branches
of the bank in the district and 15 branches outside the district,
one at Parli Vaijanath in Beed district and the other at Jalna.
The bank gives loans to credit societies, salary-earners'
societies, weavers' societies, industrial societies and
individuals. In Sangamner there are two branches.
4.10.3 Land Development Bank : The District Land Mortgage Bank
was established at Ahmednagar in 1960 with a view to provide
long-term finance to cultivators, having branch in Sangamner.
4.10.4 The Sangamner Bhag Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. :
It is rightly said that sugar is produced not in the factory but on
the farm. The Sangamner sugar factory endeavors to preserve
the status of farmers. It is a local institutions with a local
136 control. It tries to provide a training to the framers in both
democratic and business procedures. This sugar factory gots
ISO 9000 awards for the efficiency. Sugar factory is the nerve
of the economy of the study area.
4.10.5 Agricultural Credit Societies Ltd. ; There were in all 1081
agricultural credit societies in 1967-68, which number rose to
1090 during 1971-72. At end of 31.3.2003 the number of
societies were 134. These societies provide long and medium
term loans to their members. They also give aid to agriculturists
in the form of tractors and oil-engines. Some of the societies
collect agricultural produce from their members and sell through
sale and purchase societies while some also deal in controlled
rationed articles.
4.10.6 Co-operative Sale and Purchase Unions Ltd. : There were
14 sale and purchase unions in the district in 1968-69 which
undertook the distribution of fertilizers, seeds, oil-engines,
cement, tin and agricultural implements to the members. They
also run medical shops, cloth stores and grocery stores in rural
area. Besides, there were six sale and purchase unions engaged
in agricultural marketing business.
4.10.7 Agricultural Processing Societies. Ltd. : Agricultural
societies play an important role in the development of agri
industries . THE NORTHEN PART OF Ahmednagar district has
137 made remarkable progress in this respect. In 1971-72 there
were 10 agricultural processing societies in the district. There
are two processing units in Sangamner Taluka.
4.10.8 Dairy Societies : Dairy farming is an important feature of this
taluka. Due to the dairy business people got money and after
the fulfillment of his needs, they invest remaining money
mostly in credit co-operative societies.
4.10.9 Consumers' Co-operative Societies : The main function of
these stores is to supply the necessary articles to its members
at reasonable rates. There were 29 consumers' co-operative
stores in these district in 1966-67. There are five consumer co
operative stores in the research area.
4.10.10 Co-operative Banks Ltd. : There are three urban co
operative banks in the Sangamner Taluka. They are also playing
key role in the overall development of the economy of the
Sangamer.
4.10.11 Urban Credit Co-operative Societies Ltd. : During last 15
years, there was a tremendous growth of urban credit co
operative societies in Maharashtra and particularly in the
Sangamner tahsil. There is a lot of employment generation
directly in societies and indirectly in business units supported
by various societies. These societies have become a matter of
high level of academic discussion and raised much more
138 curiosity in the mind of public. Some of the social workers
have made their career in development In the societies. In 1981
number was just two. In the year 1995 credit societies were
107. By the end of March 2003 total societies were 179 out of
which 67 are Urban Societies. They have mobilised huge
amount as a share capital savings.