Water Resources of Rajasthan and Their Utilisation D N Nagar ( Continued from page 544 ) AKAL which joins Sabarmati very soon, even when worked for a rorgarh and the third above Kotah. W rises in the Aravalli range, few hours. On the side of streams, These dams arc economically feasi­ south of Gogunda, and drains some wells are numerous and these are ble and have been included in the 650 sq miles. On this river there called Saja or spring wells. Rapid First Five-Year Plan. is a darn below Panarwa, which percolation wells are known as A barrage 60 ft high and 6 miles drains the Khed-Brahma plains. It Akara wells, which are sunk much below Kotah would enable canals has low banks and its bed is wood­ deeper. The supply of water in to be dug to irrigate about 2,00,000 ed and stony. Therefore little irri­ these wells is very precarious. acres. The Bhupal dam near gation is possible. The river Sorn The Udaipur division has two Rawatbhata village would be drains the south-west of the south peremial rivers on the west, and 120 ft high and over 3,500 ft long, hilly natural division, it joins Mahi, many minor streams in Bhadar, storing 60,000 million cubic ft of and enters Dungarpur. Its tributa­ Maram Malan and Vatrah. The water and would balance the three ries are Kuwai, Gomti, Sarni, Beras largest lake in Dungarpur is Geh- 'dams, The overflow from the dams and Chemla. The stream of Jakam Sagar. There are no natural lakes will fall into the Khadep-Ka-Khal rises from Choti Sadri, passing in this district. Lili soil is irrigable and stored up at the Kotah Barrage. through Partapgarh and Udaipur and retains moisture to produce Monsoon floods would pass through on its rocky and wooded bed and spring crops. Chahi land is irriga­ big openings. The water would be joins Sorn. ted by tanks. Digar soil is irrigated utilised upto the safe level fixed Udaipur has many artificial kikes by means other than wells and for irrigation. Above the barrage, and tanks which are utilised for tanks, that is, from streams. canals would be taken out to flow on both the sides near' Bundi and irrigation purposes. One of the The main perennial rivers in the hills on the east, irrigating largest of these is Jai-Samad, 969 Banswara are Mahi and Anas, about 1,00,000 acres. feet above sea level, 9 miles long which keep flowing even in the sea­ and 5 miles broad. It drains 690 son of drought. The minor streams The Abu-Kalisind scheme for sq miles of land. There are wood­ are Eran the Chap and the Haran river Kalisind is expected to irri­ ed islands on this lake. Claimed to which are used for irrigation. Im­ gate 60,000 acres, an aqueduct on be the largest artificial sheet of portant tanks are at Naogama. it in Kotah will bring another water in the world, it is the oldest Talwara, Wagidora, and Wajwana 1,00,000 acres under irrigation. famine relief work of the Udaipur in the centre, at Asan Ganora and The dry loamy and fertile soil in State. Udai-Sagar drains 185 sq Ghatol in the north, at Khodan fairly level tract will get the bene­ miles. The area irrigated from this and Metwala in north-west and at fit of two canals. Even limited faci­ reservoir is 1500 acres. Fateh- Kalinjar in the south. lities of irrigation for a few months Sagar is another artificial lake of in the year is .expected to increase The south-eastern plateau and considerable magnitude. Artificial the yield of wheat to about half ton north-eastern plain taken together tanks of this kind, less ambitious in per acre. Catch kharif crops are forms the most fertile natural divi­ proportions, are found in almost also expected to contribute substan­ sion of the State lying on the east every village and are used for irri­ tially to the supply of foodgrains. gation. of Aravallis. It comprises of Bundi, Kotah, Tonk and Khalawar pla­ The liver Banas flows along the The main sources of irrigation teau and J a i p u r , Bharatpur, eastern slope of the Aravalli Range here are the tanks and wells. About Alwar, Sikar and Jhunjhunu. The through Bhilwara, Jaipur. Tonk and 4/5th of the area in the hilly region last being in Shekhawati desert area, Sawai Madhopur district and meets of Udaipur division is irrigated by it is thinly populated; in the rest the river Chambal. In the Banas wells which are hardly 40-60 deep. of the division, the density of popu­ Pilani scheme, with a darn at Raj- The irrigated area in Khalsa is ap­ lation is high. It is watered by the mahal and a lift canal through proximately 100,000 acres. There two great rivers of importance, viz, Sambhar lake to Pilani. a gravity are as many as 150 tanks or more the Chambal, which is the biggest canal would irrigate in Gangapur in this division. Jai-Samad, Raj- river in Rajasthan, and Banas its and Sawai Madhopur areas about Samad, Udai-Sagar, Fateh-Sagar, tributary. Kalisind and Parvati are 7 to 8 lakh acres of land. Pichola and Bari are the more im­ other tributaries. Rising from North The river Parvati is another tri­ portant storage tanks. At Mandal, Vindya Ranges in Madhya Bharat. butary of the Chambal. The Par­ Ghasa, Kapasan, Lakhola, Dindholi, the Chambal flows through Raja­ vati project is likely to irrigate Nagaon and Gagera there are also sthan for some 600 miles, from 15,000 acres. The Mej and the such tanks. On the river Banas at Sitamau to the bolder of the old Morel are small rivers. The Morel Naogaon and Amarpur, reservoirs Dholpur State, and meets the river project would irrigate an area of have been built and the canals ema­ Jamuna. It flows on the plateau 22.000 acres. The river Dundh nating from them are used for irri­ of Kotah, Bundi, and border of falls in the Morel. The river Ban- gation. In most of such reservoirs, Sawai Madhopur and drains an ganga flows through a narrow plain cultivation is done on the beds and area of 55,000 sq miles. Of the near Ajmer and the Madhavabeni in this way near about 65,000 acres three darns to be built on this river, falls into it. The river Achrol is irrigated. one will be in the Madhya Bharat drains land near Dausa with small The deep wells, however, dry up State, one in Udaipur near Bhans- canals. The river Barni meets river 597 May 23, 1953 Mashi. River Dai and Mashi are water which frrigates land on their ON the plains facing jamuna, tributaries on the river Banas. The banks. There are two big schemes comprising of the Jaipur (admi­ river Medha falls in the Sambhar under consideration of the Govern­ nistrative) division, Ajmer .and lake. The river Katli is a rain-fed ment for the maximum utilisation Bhilwara, the annual rainfall is be­ stream near Khandela in Shekha- of the water of the Chambal and tween 20"-30" and the under­ wati. The river Basai flows into Morel rivers. If these schemes ground water level is not more than Narnol. The streams of Sabi and materialise, an area of about 320,000 50 to 60 feet deep. Wells are in­ Sota form fertile irrigable valleys acres will be brought under irriga­ numerable. In the plateau towards near Bairat. The river Gambhir tion. Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, and Malwa comprising of the adminis­ and Khari irrigate land in Sawai Sawai Madhopur districts have trative Kotah division, the rainfall Madhopur. There are m any 20,000 acres of irrigated area. averages 30" to 40" and the under­ streams and nullas in Alwar. The Alwar, Bharatpur, and Dholpur, ground water level is variable be­ Ganasar and Sainthan Sagar etc, have about 1,50,000 acres of cause of the hard rocks. At places reservoirs formed of a small river irrigated land. The possibility of water is available from the artesian Sawar, a tributary of Banganga, extending irrigation is very con­ wells within 20" to 30" below the derive their water from the same siderable. The Chambal multi­ surface. „ The number of wells in source. purpose scheme, with three major this part is even larger. For pur­ The rivers and nullas with reser­ dams and a barrage below Kotah, poses of comparison, it is usual to voirs show that the country is pro­ when completed, will make the quote the number of wells. Wells vided with good facilities for irri­ plateau and plains on the south­ being the main source of irrigation gation. Although few of the above east and east of Aravallis one of in Rajasthan, stress has been given rivers are perennial, and they dry up the best irrigated and most fertile to construction of new wells and during summer, their beds retain in the country, repair to the dilapidated ones. Cement, iron and other masonry material are being distributed for this purpose. Tube wells and Per­ sian-wheels are also being installed. The value of irrigation is greatly enhanced by the absence of perma­ nent sources of water supply and quite uncertain supply of water. Irrigation can pay its own cost, if properly handled. Wells and tanks arc the main source of irrigation in Rajasthan. The rain water gather­ ed in pits is used for irrigating fields. Almost every drop of water is tried to be stored in tanks and catchments.