Livelihood Zones in West Bengal

Improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers LIVELIHOOD ZONES ANALYSIS A tool for planning agricultural water management investments West Bengal

Prepared by Rajathat PRASARI, Kolkata, West Bengal, India in consultation with FAO, 2011 About this report

The AgWater Solutions Project aimed at designing agricultural water management (AWM) strategies for smallholder farmers in sub Saharan Africa and in India. The project was managed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and operated jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) and International Development Enterprise (IDE). It was implemented in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia and in the States of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal in India.

Several studies have highlighted the potential of AWM for poverty alleviation. In practice, however, adoption rates of AWM solutions remain low, and where adoption has taken place locally, programmes aimed at disseminating these solutions often remain a challenge. The overall goal of the project was to stimulate and support successful pro-poor, gender-equitable AWM investments, policies and implementation strategies through concrete, evidence-based knowledge and decision-making tools.

The project has examined AWM interventions at the farm, community, watershed, and national levels. It has analyzed opportunities and constraints of a number of small-scale AWM interventions in several pilot research sites across the different project countries, and assessed their potential in different agro-climatic, socio-economic and political contexts.

This report was prepared as part of the efforts to assess the potential for AWM solutions at national level. The livelihood zones analysis divides the country in a series of areas where rural people share relatively homogeneous living conditions on the basis of a combination of biophysical and socio-economic determinants. It describes the main sources of livelihood of rural populations (by category of people), their natural resources base, potential and key constraints to development. It analyses the relation between people and water and helps understanding to what extent and how water can be a factor for development.

Livelihood Zones analyisis in West Bengal

A scenario for AWM interventions

Prepared by:

Rajarhat PRASARI, Kolkata (India)

In consultation with

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome (Italy)

i PRASARI is a non-governmental organization, which was established in 2007 and works in the rural development sector. Within less than four years, PRASARI proved its role in improving food sufficiency in southern West Bengal in Sundarbans. PRASARI shares part of its success with local Panchayeti Raj Institutions (PRIs), which takes a lead role in some parts of Sunderban. Further, PRASARI has expanded into the northern parts of West Bengal such as Jalpaiguri district where a system of rice Intensification (SRI) has been introduced and promoted. PRASARI believes that small-scale and marginal farmers would be most benefitted by this new intervention.

Today PRASARI is the leading organization promoting SRI in the state of West Bengal.

PRASARI receives its support from various national funding agencies such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and has recently begun consultations with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on the potential for Agriculture Water Management (AWM) in India.

This document has been prepared by PRASARI in consultation with FAO. Livelihood Zones were identified during the workshop held November 2010 in Kolkata (India). The data used in this document were collected from various government agencies in electronic format and online resources such as government websites.

Mailing address: PRASARI 17 B, Bapujinagar, Jadavpur, Kolkata – 92 India

[email protected]

+91-33-24297935 +91-9836341858

May 2011

Contents

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...... VII 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 IMPORTANT MAPS OF INDIA ...... 2 2 BACKGROUND ...... 3 3. METHODOLOGY ...... 4 OVERVIEW OF THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL ...... 6 POPULATION OF WEST BENGAL ...... 7 LAND-USE PATTERN IN WEST BENGAL ...... 8 ZONE 1 – DARJEELING ...... 11 ZONE 2 DARJEELING, KOCH BIHAR, UTTAR DINAJPUR AND JALPAIGURI ...... 14 PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RICE ...... 18 ZONE 2A KOCH BIHAR ...... 18 ZONE 3 – DAKSHIN DINAJPUR, MALDAH, MURSHIDABAD AND UTTAR DINAJPUR ...... 22 Dakshin Dinajpur ...... 24 ZONE 4 – MALDAH ...... 30 ZONE 5 – MALDAH AND MURSHIDABAD ...... 32 MURSHIDABAD ...... 32 ZONE 6 PARTS OF BANKURA, BARDHAMAN AND BIRBHUM ...... 35 Bardhamann ...... 37 BARDHAMAN ...... 38 ZONE 7 – BANKURA, BARDHAMAN, HAORA, HUGLI, NADIA, NORTH 24 PARGANAS, PASCHIM MEDINIPUR, PURBA MEDINIPUR, SOUTH 24 PARGANAS ...... 40 WEST MIDNAPUR ...... 42 ZONE 7A – BARDHAMAN AND BIRBHUM ...... 47 ZONE 8 – BANKURA, WEST MEDINIPUR AND PURULIA DISTRICTS ...... 48 ZONE 9 PARTS OF BANKURA, PASCHIM MEDINIPUR AND PURULIYA ...... 57 ZONE 10 PARTS OF HAORA, HUGLI, NADIA, NORTH AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS ...... 58 ZONE 11 – FIVE BLOCKS OF SOUTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT ...... 61 ZONE 12 SOME BLOCKS OF NORTH 24 PARGANAS, EAST MEDINIPUR AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS ...... 62 ZONE – 13 NORTH AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS ...... 64 AWM INVESTMENT POTENTIAL ...... 66 SOLUTIONS AS AN AWM INTERVENTION ...... 67 WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT ...... 68 WATER HARVEST ...... 71 WATER AND SOIL CONSERVATION ...... 74

iii ELECTRIFICATION ...... 76 FINANCING ...... 78 DRIP IRRIGATION ...... 79 SMALL-SCALE LIFT IRRIGATION...... 80 SOLAR ...... 81 CAPACITY BUILDING...... 82 REFERENCES ...... 83 ANNEXES ...... 85 ANNEX 1 – PRODUCTION DETAILS OF DIFFERENT CROPS (‘000 TONNES) IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS (2006-2007) ...... 85 ANNEX 2 – PRODUCTIVITY DETAILS OF DIFFERENT CROPS (KG/HA) IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS (2006-2007) ...... 86 ANNEX 3 – LIVELIHOOD ZONES ATTRIBUTE TABLE – GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS ...... 87 ANNEX 4 – LIVELIHOOD ZONES ATTRIBUTE TABLE – SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS ...... 89 ANNEX 5 – LIVELIHOOD ZONES ATTRIBUTE TABLE – WATER-RELATED ASPECTS 1 ...... 92 ANNEX 6 – LIVELIHOOD ZONES ATTRIBUTE TABLE – WATER-RELATED ASPECTS 2 ...... 95

List of Figures

1 – Map 1 Hydrological, 2 – District population, 3 – Drought prone areas, 4 – Flood prone areas, 5 – Groundwater quality, 6 – Land use, 7 – Population growth, 8 – Decadal groundwater fluctuation (1997– 2006) 2 – Different zones defined by the participants during the group discussion 3 – Agro-ecological map of West Bengal 4 – Map of Livelihood Zones 5 – West Bengal showing all districts 6 – Population in the districts of West Bengal – 2001 7 – Growth of population in West Bengal over the years (1941 - 2011) 8 – Available land area in different districts 9 – West Bengal and land use pattern 10 – Area utilized for agriculture purpose in different districts 11 – Fallow areas 12 – Area utilized for non-agricultural purposes 13 – Map of Darjeeling 14 – Persons engaged in agriculture in different blocks of Zone 1 15 – Broken highways 16 – Production of major food crops in Zone 1 17 – Productivity of major food crops in Zone 1 18 – Production (thousand tonne/ha) and productivity (kg/ha) patterns of rice in different seasons (2006-2007) 19 – Map of Jalpaiguri 20 – People engaged in agriculture in blocks of Zone 2 21 – Production of major crops in district of Jalpaiguri 22 – Productivity of major crops in Zone 2 23 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in different seasons in Zone 2 (2006-2007) 24 – Map of Koch Bihar 25 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 2a 26 – Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 2a 27 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 2a 28 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in Zone 2a in different seasons (2006-2007) 29 – Map of Uttar Dinajpur 30 – Map of Dakshin Dinajpur 31 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 3 32 – Map of Maldah 33 – Eroded embankment resulting from flooded Ganga

iv 34 – Production pattern of major crops in Zone 3 35 – Productivity pattern of major crops 36 – Production pattern of rice in Zone 3 in three different seasons (2006-2007) 37 – Productivity pattern of rice in zone 3 in three different seasons (2006-2007) 38 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 4 39 – Production pattern of major crops in Zone 4 (2006-2007) 40 – Productivity pattern of major crops in Zone 4 41 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in three different seasons in Zone 4 42 – Map of Murshidabad 43 – Number of persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 5 44 – Production pattern of major crops in Zone 5 45 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 5 46 – Production and productivity patterns of rice in three different seasons in Zone 5 47 – Map of Birbhum 48 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 6 49 – Map of Bardhman 50 – Population growth in Bardhaman 51 – Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 6 52 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 6 53 – Production and productivity patter of rice in three different seasons in Zone 6 54 – Map of Nadia 55 – Map of Hooghly 56 – Map of Howrah 57 – Map of East Medinipur 58 – North 24 Parganas 59 – Map of Bankura 60 – Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 7 61 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 7 62 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zones 7 63 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in zones 7 and 7a 64 – Persons engaged in agricultuer in Zone 7a 65 – Map of Purulia 67 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 8 68 – A typical village transact 69 – Resource ownership pattern of a typical marginal family in the zone 70 – A typical cycle in the zone 71 – Production patter of major crops in Zone 8 72 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 8 73 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in three different seasons in Zone 8 74 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 9 75 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 10 76 – Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 10 77 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 10 78 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 11 79 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 12 80 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 13 81 – Resoruce map of a village in coastal West Bengal 82 – Voting was done in order to prioritize zones for AWM interventions 83 – Solution in the zones and its relevance 84 – Rainfall pattern in different districts 85 – Ground water situation in Zone 6, 7, 7a, and 12 86 – Water harvest and its relevance in each area 87 – Area available for production of Boro rice in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest 88 – Yield in Kg/ha of Boro rice in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest 89 – Rainfall trend in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest 90 – Water and soil conservation and its relevance in each zone 91 – Rainfall trend in zones relevant for interventin with water and soil conservation 92 – Trend in irrigation in zones relevant for intervention with water and soil conservation 93 – Electrification and its relevance in each zone

v 94 – River Lift Irrigation schemes owned and run by WRDD 95 – Financing and its relevance in each zone 96 – Drip irrigation and its relevance in each zone 97 – Small-scale lift irrigation and its relevance in each zone 98 – Solar and its relevance in each zone 99 – Capacity building and its relevance in each zone

List of Tables 1 – Nomenclature of Livelihood Zones based on key characteristics and key livelihoods 2 – Zones and districts falling under a particular zone 3 – Overview of West Bengal 4 – Zone 1 showing districts and blocks 5 – Zone 2 districts and blocks 6 – An overview of Jalpaiguri district 7 – Zone 2a districts and blocks 8 – Overview of district Koch Bihar 9 – Overview of district Uttar Dinajpur 10 – Zone 3 with its districts and blocks 11 – Overview of Dakshin Dinajpur 12 – Overview of District Maldah 13 – Zone 4 districts and blocks 14 – Zone 5 districts and blocks 15– Overview of district Murshidabad 16– Zone 6 with its districts and blocks 17 – Overview of district Birbhum 18 – Overview of district Bardhhaman 19 – District 7 with its districts and blocks 20 – Overview of district Nadia 21 – Overview of district North 24 Parganas 22 – Zone 8 districts and blocks 23 – Percentage of the underdeveloped communities 24 – Work availability in different districts 25 – Land size class in the zone 26 – Land categories and their usage 27 – The percentage of cultivable land and irrigated area (2006-07) 28 – Zone 10 districts and blocks 29 – Different solutions and their relevance explored during the workshop in different zones 30 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with Watershed development 31 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with water harvest 32 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with water and soil conservation 33 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with electrification 34 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with financing 35 – Zones showing relevance for intervention with drip irrigation 36 – Zones showing relevance for intervention with small-scale lift irrigation 37 – Zones showing their relevance for solar intervention 38 – Zone showing their relevance for intervention with capacity building

Acronyms and abbreviations AEZ Agro-ecological zones AWM Agricultural Water Management FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations GIS Geographical Information Systems HDI Human development index Kharif Rainy season crops Lahk Unit in Asian system. One hundred thousand, usually written as 1,00000 MSME Micro and small medium enterprises NFSM National Food Security Mission PRI Panchayeti Raj Institutions RKVY Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana RLI River lift irrigation NGO Non-governmental organization NBARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development PMRY Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana SGSY Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yogna SRI System of Rice Intensification SDTT Sir Dorabji Tata Trust ST Scheduled tribe TMC Total miscellaneous crops

vii

1 INTRODUCTION Water is a precious natural resource, which in India is becoming scarcer in several states; the reason is not its unavailability but rather its harvesting potential. In West Bengal, see Figure 1 (1 and 5) explains the situation. There is a huge difference between groundwater potential (yield litres/s) and groundwater quality where groundwater is low. West Bengal, where more than 72 percent of the population resides in villages, is predominantly agriculture dependent. Rural livelihoods are vulnerable to both floods and droughts, therefore, water has to be planned for, developed, conserved and managed, keeping in mind the socio-economic aspects and needs of the State (MInistry of Water Resources, 2002). Water is also one of the most important aspects to be considered during development planning at ground level. With technology, a major portion of agriculture in drought-prone areas can be fed with deep tube wells, using shallow water pumps (Figure 1; 4). Though use varies from state-to-state, research shows a sharp decline in the groundwater table over the years (Figure 1; 8). Availability of technology and proper infrastructure might help conserve water thus increasing its availability during the dry season. Lack of awareness of water-related issues in communities, however, can put any conservation efforts at risk. According to the non-governmental organization (NGO) Development Alternatives Group, it is recognized that water problems cannot be solved with quick technical solutions; solutions to water problems require the consideration of various cultural, educational, and scientific aspects (Development Alternatives Group, 2001). In India, State Governments run various schemes such as canal irrigation, river lift irrigation (RLI), etc. through local administration to strengthen irrigation facilities for local farmers. The ideal situation is to form an arrangement based on user cooperatives/societies (Phadhke, 2002) because the shift in trend towards the use of groundwater resources may be related to the lack of proper canal maintenance/RLIs (IWMI, 2010). Furthermore, the use of shallow water tube wells, and other low-power irrigation devices, permit users independent rights to use groundwater for farming. In this light, if policies to devolve the management of resources assume that (only) users will organize and take on the necessary management for community-based irrigation facilities this may result in the system becoming dysfunctional within a short time (Meinzen-Dick, Raju et al., 2002). Linking of the above information to that of monsoon rainfall, which is the largest source of water for agriculture, has been random over a long period. Monsoon rainfall trends, based on the rainfall data from 1901 to 2003, have been noted in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and on the Sikkim and Bihar plains (decreasing) and Punjab, Konkan and Goa, West Madhya Pradesh and Telangana (increasing) (Guhathakurta and Rajeevan, 2008). With climate change it may be assumed these rainfall trends will be affected. This implies that water use policies should take a broader perspective and not be based on immediate solutions so that Indian agriculture can achieve its long-term goals.

1 IMPORTANT MAPS OF INDIA

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

Figure 1 – Map 1 Hydrological, 2 – District population, 3 – Drought prone areas, 4 – Flood prone areas, 5 – Groundwater quality, 6 – Land use, 7 – Population growth, 8 – Decadal groundwater fluctuation (1997– 2006)

2 2 BACKGROUND During the workshop held in November 2010 in Kolkata (WB) a map of West Bengal was produced (Figure 1) showing the different zones (see Annexes for details) identified based on the similarity of the living conditions in rural communities. Participants from different government agencies and NGOs contributed to exploring solutions and overcoming the problems of water for agriculture in West Bengal; the relevance of each solution was also defined for each zone. Participants helped identify priority zones, where AWM could provide a possible solution to contraints to agricultural production. The relevance of criteria such as poverty level, unavailability of infrastructure, etc. was considered in the context of rural communities.

Figure 2 – Different zones defined by the participants during the group discussion

The zones defined in Figure 2 are based on information provided by the expert participants and does not necessarily match the agrio-ecological zones (AEZ) map of West Bengal. During the two-day workshop, experts group discussions and presentations resulted in identification of key features in West Bengal. Five groups were formed (for details see Workshop Report), facilitators provided the necessary tools such as maps, and assisted in defining objectives. Despite the different backgrounds of the participants, group consensus produced the relevant zones for AWM interventions.

Figure 3 – Agro-ecological map of West Bengal

3 3. METHODOLOGY Profiling of the different zones included identification of zones; a brief look into aspects of the State of West Bengal; and identification of AWM investment potential. Datasets pertaining to area, population, climate, workers, agriculture, etc. were obtained from the Bureau of Applied Economics and Statistics (Government of West Bengal) and the National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India). Much information was collected from different scientific papers and secondary sources to facilitate better analysis of existing datasets obtained from the different government departments. The relevance of each of the solutions identified by participants were discussed, see Table 2.

Delineation of zones in West Bengal The two-day PRASARI and FAO workshop was held in Kolkata. Participants from different government and non-government agencies discussed improvements to the agriculture water situation in West Bengal. Many zones were identified, but after discussions a total of 15 zones were decided upon (except Kolkata) (Figure 2, Table 1). Different maps such as soil map, AEZ map and agro-climatic maps were considered in order to delineate boundaries for the livelihood zones.

Identification of livelihood zones A detailed analysis was made of climate, population, agriculture, poverty, and water-related issues to define different livelihood zones along with analyses of specific zones and the possibility of investment. The most important criteria for investment included poverty levels, followed by lack of infrastructure for water, technology and management. West Bengal GIS layers (up to block level) were used to define the boundaries of the livelihood zones and then superimposed on the administrative map. Delineation of the boundaries of all livelihood zones was random and not district specific. Zones had vague boundaries in contrast to a normal revenue map of the area (Figure 4). It became clear from the map of livelihood zones that a single zone might cover more than one district.

Names of livelihood zones Table 1 – Nomenclature of Livelihood Zones based on key characteristics and key livelihoods

Zone Nomenclature based on key characteristics and key livelihoods in the zone

Zone 1: Hilly-Terai Rainfed Grain Crops1-Fruits-Vegetables- Spices2- Livestock Livelihood Zone. Zone 2: Terai-Grain crops-Fiber-Vegetables-Livestock Livelihood zone. Zone 2a: Terai-Grain crops-Fiber-Tobacco-Vegetables-Livestock Livelihood zone. Zone 3: Barind Rainfed- Grain crops-Pine apple-Fiber Livelihood zone. Zone 4: Barind-Rice-Horticulture Livelihood zone. Zone 5: Gangetic Alluvial & Barind- Rice-Sericulture Livelihood zone. Zone 6: Ruhr & Alluvial-Grain crops-Poultry-Livestock Livelihood Zone. Zone 7: Ruhr & Alluvial-Grain crops-Fishery-Poultry-Livestock-Cottage Industry Livelihood zone. Zone 7a: Old Vindhyan alluvial-Grain crops-Fishery-Poultry-Livestock-Cottage Industry Livelihood Zone. Zone 8: Ruhr & Alluvial-Grain crops-Livestock Livelihood zone. Zone 9: Eastern Plateau & Alluvial-Grain crops-Livestock Livelihood zone. Zone 10: Coastal & Alluvial-Grain crops-Fishery-Floriculture-Vegetable-Legumes-Livestock Livelihood zone. Zone 11: Coastal-Grain crops-Horticulture-Livestock-Fishery Livelihood zone. Zone 12: Coastal-Grain crops-Fishery-Livestock-Bund Horticulture Livelihood zone. Zone 13: Coastal-Small Scale Single crop (Grain/Horticulture)-Capture Fishery-Livestock Livelihood zone.

1 Grain crops typically include rice, wheat, mustard and maize, and in some zones such as zone 1, millet. 2 Spice crops typically include cardamom, ginger, turmeric. 4 Livelihood zones in West Bengal

Table 2 – Zones and districts falling under a particular zone

SN Zones Districts falling under the zone 1 Zone 1 Darjeeling 2 Zone 2 Jalpaiguri 3 Zone 2a Koch Bihar 4 Zone 3 Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and Maldah

5 Zone 4: Maldah 6 Zone 5: Maldah, Murshidabad 7 Zone 6: Birbhum, Bardhman 8 Zone 7 Birbhum, Bardhman, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East Midnapur, West Midnapur, Bankura, North 24 Parganas 9 Zone 7a Birbhum, Bardhman 10 Zone 8: Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapur 11 Zone 9: Purulia 12 Zone 10: Kolkata, Nadia, Haora, North and South 24 Parganas 13 Zone 11: South 24 Parganas 14 Zone 12: South 24 Parganas, East Midnapur 15 Zone 13: South 24 Parganas

Figure 2 – Map of Livelihood Zones

OVERVIEW OF THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL West Bengal covers 88 752 km2 and is the third largest economy in India. There are 18 districts and Kolkata serves as the state capital. There are over 23 towns with a population of over 100 000. The largest cities are Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol, Durgapur and Siliguri. Other important towns include Darjeeling, Kharagpur and Haldia. Kolkata is one of the largest metropolitan regions in the world. The state shares international boundaries with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal (IMRB International 2010).

The River Ganga and its numerous tributaries have contributed to some of the most fertile regions in the world. In West Bengal, agriculture is the mainstay for about 70 percent of the population. Land usage is as follows: arable land 62.8 percent; forests 13.38 percent; the rest is for other purposes and shall be discussed in detail in the following subsections.

The state of West Bengal has been a centre of a rich history, culture and heritage. With a population of over 90 million, West Bengal is the fourth most populous state in India, and ranks first in terms of population density. West Bengal is predominantly an agriculture driven state (Figure 1; 6), however, there has been a rich tradition of industry since the start of the industrial age. The state is actively engaging in investments in industrial sectors to ensure maintaining its past leadership in industrialization. West Bengal is a state with progressive thought and forward vision; the people are known for their strong sense of culture and knowledge. The state has earned the distinction of being one of the “food basket” states of India (Prahalad 2010).

Figure 5 – West Bengal showing all districts

Table 3 – Overview3 of West Bengal Particular Measure Capital Kolkata Area ~ 89000 km2 (2.7% of India’s area) Human Development Index (HDI) 0.61 No. of Districts 18 State Language Bengali Population > 91 Million (Male: Female = 51%:49%) Urban – Rural Breakup of Population 22.97: 72.03 (%) State’s share in India’s Population 7.28 % Population Growth (1991-2001) 17.77%

3 Source: www.indiaat75.in 6 Population of West Bengal Based on the Census of India (2001) the estimated population of West Bengal in 2001 was 80.17 million the projection for 2011 was 91 million.

District wise Population in West Bengal - 2001 10000000 9000000 8000000 7000000 6000000 5000000 4000000 3000000 2000000 1000000 0

Figure 3 – Population in the districts of West Bengal – 2001

The populations in the different districts fall into four categories:

1. Low population districts – Darjeeling, Dakshin Dinajpur, Cooch Bihar, Uttar Dinajpur and Purulia. 2. Moderately populated districts – Jalpaiguri, Maldah, Bankura, Birbhum 3. Medium populated districts – West Midnapur, East Midnapur, Nadia, Hooghly, and Howrah. 4. Highly populated districts – Murshidabad, Bardhman, North and South 24 Parganas.

Population growth in West Bengal (1940 - 2011)

1000 800 600 400 200 0

1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 Population in 00,000 in Population Year

Figure 4 – Growth of population in West Bengal over the years (1941 - 2011)

Figure 7 shows that the population in West Bengal quadrupled over the last 70 years, with maximum increase in the highly populated districts (Census of India, 2001) of Murshidabad, Bardhman, North and South 24 Parganas. This information is important in terms of AWM intervention possibilities in West Bengal. Maximum industrial development took place in these highly populated districts only. This also indicates that priority zones (Zones 8, 2 and 12) were almost left behind during development. Lack of proper road networks, poor electricity grids, poor agricultural growth, and poverty are among the major issues in priority zones.

7 Land-use pattern in West Bengal Total available land in West Bengal is 8 684 ha; out of which > 50 percent is available in only 6 districts (Figure 8).

Land area available in West Bengal 1000.00 900.00

800.00 700.00 600.00 500.00 400.00 300.00 ARea in ha in ARea 200.00 100.00 0.00

Districts

Figure 5 – Available land area in different districts

Land-use pattern (Figure 9) shows there are only four broad categories, which can be divided into: net sown area for agriculture purposes, for non-agricultural use, forest area and fallow land.

Land Use pattern in West Bengal

Net area sown 5296 Current fallow 341 Fallow land other than current fallow 22 Culturable waste land 34 Misc. tree groves 58 Permanent pastures & other grazing land 5 Barren & unculturable land 21 Non-agricultural use 1733 Forest Area 1174 Area in ha

Figure 6 – West Bengal and land use pattern

8 Net area sown (Agriculture) 600

500 400 300 200 Area in ha in Area 100 0

Figure 7 – Area utilized for agriculture purpose in different districts

All the priority zones (Zone 8, 2 and 12) comply with the current situation of agriculture; fallow area data from the districts concerned show there is a need to intervene because much land is not being utilized for any purpose. Purulia and Bankura show the highest area of fallow land, which falls into the high priority zones.

Current fallow 140

120 100 80 60 40 Area in ha in Area 20 0

Figure 8 – Fallow areas

Purulia – comes first in the priority zones, and is predominantly mono-cropped. About 60 percent of the total cultivated land is upland. Out of the total agricultural holdings about 73 percent belongsto small-scale and marginal farmers having scattered and fragmented smallholdings. Paddy is the primary crop. Of the total area 50 percent is under the net-cropped area and only 17 percent of the net cropped area is under multi-crop cultivation. Aman paddy cultivation accounts for 77 percent of the net-cropped area. The crops are mainly rainfed, with low fertilizer consumption per unit area. Per hectare production is also low as compared to other district in West Bengal (Anno, 2011).

Bankura – the net cultivable area is 4.30 lakh ha (lakh = One hundred thousand, usually written as 1 00000) and cultivators amount to 4.47 lakhs. Per cultivator availability of net sown area is 1.02 ha. Because of the continuous division and fragmentation of cultivated land, agriculture is becoming less remunerative. About 46 percent of the net-cropped area is under irrigation. The gross cropped area is about 6 lakh ha and cropping intensity is 147 percent.

Other major land uses in all the districts are non-agricultural and forest area.

Non-agricultural use 250

200 150 100 Area in ha in Area 50 0

Figure 9 – Area utilized for non-agricultural purposes

Forest Area 450 400

350

300 250

200 Area in ha in Area 150 100 50 0

Figure 10: Area utilized for growing forests.

ZONE 1 – DARJEELING Darjeeling is the only district that falls into Zone 1. With an area of 3 149 km2, Darjeeling is different from all other zones with its unique eco-environment.

The different climatic zones all have their distinctive attributes. Soils have been developed by both fluvial action and lithological disintegration. The annual mean maximum and minimum temperatures range from 14.9 C and 8.9 C respectively with an average annual rainfall of 3 092 mm. Darjeeling is one of the most beautiful places in India and considered the ‘Queen of the hills’.

There are several rivers such as the Tista, Great Rangit, Mechi, Balason, Mahananda, Lish, Gish, Chel, Ramman, Murti and Jaldhaka. Darjeeling is said to comprise six Ts: Tea, Tourism, Teak, Toy train, Tiger Hill, and Trekkers’ paradise (Desai, 2011).

Major livelihoods4 and issues5 The environment plays a major role in the livelihood and economy in Darjeeling: subsistence agriculture, livestock, forestry, plantations and allied activities are the major activities. Agriculture is greatly impacted by altitude and slopes and, because of the cold, no crops are grown above 9 500 feet asl. Cultivation, therefore, is extremely difficult and needs considerable labour. Bare rocks and steep slopes largely restrict agricultural operations.

Figure 13 – Map of Darjeeling

Broadly, agricultural crops in the Himalayas can be grouped into two categories: food crops and cash crops. Major food crops include rice, maize, potato, wheat, barley, etc. and are described as total miscellaneous crops (TMS) in Figures 16, 17, while cash crops are tea, cinchona, ginger, etc. Usually agriculture is practiced on irrigated terraces called Khet or rainfed terraces Bari. Khets are mostly seen on the lower altitudes (below 1 500 m) for paddy cultivation. Livestock serve as the primary and perhaps the most important source of fertilizer.

4 Source: http://beacononline.wordpress.com/ 5 Source: Desai, M. (2011). "Identification and Mapping of Hazard Prone areas regarding landslide in the Darjeeling Hill area." Retrieved May 2nd, 2011, from http://www.darjeeling.gov.in/geography.html#land-use.

11 Table 4 – Zone 1 showing districts and blocks

District under Zone 1 Blocks falling under Zone 1 Darjeeling Pulbazar Gorubathan Kalimpong0I Darjeeling Kalimpong0II Kurseong Mirik Rangli Rangliot Sukhiapokhri Jorebunglow

Zone 1: Persons engaged in agriculture 9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000

Numbers 3000 2000 1000 0 Sukhiapo Darjeelin khri- Rangli Kalimpon Kalimpon Gorubath g- Kurseong Mirik Jorebung Rangliot g-I g-II an Pulbazar low Bargadars 2331 27 132 1111 1221 144 212 23 Small farmers 2560 5 510 2030 1240 1160 510 16 Marginal farmers 8005 1285 3780 8510 4475 2730 1580 479

Figure 14 – Persons engaged in agriculture in different blocks of Zone 1

Forestry is also an important occupation in Darjeeling and about 38.91 percent of the area is under forest. Many forest-based industries have been inititated and there is huge potential for further development. Largely, tea plantations contribute to local livelihoods.

Figure 15 – Broken highways

Major issues in the region: a) Frequent landslides because of unstable geological structures and tectonic disturbances. b) Presence of very thin soil cover and heavy rainfall causes vulnerability to soil erosion. This aspect is important from the viewpoint of socio economic development of the hills and the people. c) Forest cover is unstable because of the rapid increase in cultivated land (with the exception of tea gardens), expansion of settlements, and construction of roads. The rapid depletion of forest cover is noticeable in the tea plantation area. In most tea gardens in the hills, there are no shade trees along the fringe line of the garden and soil protection is insignificant. d) Rapid expansion of settlements and towns, especially along the roads, is a significant cause of frequent landslides in the hills. Multi-storied buildings, without proper planning, along the roads and on the steeper slopes have increased the load on already deteriorated slopes.

12 e) Demand for fuel is another issue; mining of coal layers and illegal felling of young trees to meet the demand for firewood occurs in the hills. f) Population explosion in the hill areas, especially in the urban areas, has been followed by the rapid increase in number of heavy vehicles; continuous horizontal vibration gradually destabilizes unstable slopes and geological formations. g) Domestic and commercial water demand has increased during recent years. Forest clearance and removal of the top layer of soils have resulted in decreasing groundwater level and consequent drying up of the streams during most of the year.

Production and productivity of major crops

Zone 1: Production of major crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07

250 205.9 200

150

100 58.7 50 30.8 31.4 14.4 3.2 1.2 8.1 0 Rice Wheat Maize Other Pulses Oil Seeds Jute TMC Cereals

Figure 16 – Production of major food crops in Zone 1

Zone 1: Productivity of major food crops (Kg/ha) 2006-07 4254

2116 1866 1428 1207 609 564 12.7

Rice Wheat Maize Other Pulses Oil Seeds Jute TMC Cereals

Figure 17 – Productivity of major crops in Zone 1

13 Production and productivity of rice

Zone 1: Production pattern of Zone 1: Productivity pattern of rice rice 50 2100 2050

40 2000 30 1950 1900 20

Production 1850 Productivity 1800 10 1750 0 1700 Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro Series1 8.9 46.6 3.2 Series1 2040 1824 2071

Figure 18 – Production (thousand tonne/ha) and productivity (kg/ha) patterns of rice in different seasons (2006-2007)

ZONE 2 DARJEELING, KOCH BIHAR, UTTAR DINAJPUR AND JALPAIGURI There are four districts in Zone 2 part of Darjeeling, Koch Bihar, Uttar Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri. As the zone covers a major portion of Jalpaiguri it is important to discuss the district Jalpaiguri in detail. The other districts will be explained later in the report.

Table 5 – Zone 2 districts and blocks

Districts under Zone 2 Block falling under the Zone 2 Kharibari DARJILING Matigara Naxalbari Phansidewa Alipurduar I Alipurduar II Dhupguri Falakata Jalpaiguri Kalchini JALPAIGURI Kumargram

Madarihat0Birpara Mal Maynaguri Metiali Nagrakata Rajganj Haldibari KOCHBIHAR Mekhliganj

14 Chopra UTTAR DINAJPUR Islampur

Criss-crossed with streams, rivers and hills, the district is primarily rural with over 80 percent of the population residing in rural areas. The district is the gateway to the northeastern states and Bhutan. There is a high migrant population of the different cultural groups (Ranjbanshi, Ravas, Totos, Metch, Santhals, Madasia and Oraons), which has created a unique cultural harmony rarely seen in other districts of West Bengal (NIC-Jalpaiguri, 2011).

Major livelihood and issues Apart from agriculture and livestock rearing, tea gardens also contribute to the livelihoods in the region. Jalpaiguri is the second highest tea-producing district in the country. The tea estates define not only the economy but also the ethnic composition, employment, livelihood patterns, culture and economic development perspective of the district. Figure – 19 – Map of Jalpaiguri

Table 6 – An overview of Jalpaiguri district

Particulars Measures Geographical area 6245 km2 Area under tea garden 1987 km2 Area under forest land 1790 km2 Average annual rainfall 3160 mm Average maximum temperature 30.90C Average minimum temperature 10.80C Relative humidity 82% Main crops other than tea Rice and Jute Major rivers Tista, Torsa, Jaldhaka, Raidak, Sankosh.

A good percentage of the population belongs to the scheduled cast (SC)/scheduled tribe (ST) and they form the labour for the tea gardens.

The tribal labourers are not native to the zone and were brought in from present day Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and settled there by the British. Their ethnic and cultural identity and social systems have been maintained up to the present (District Magistrate, 2010).

15 Zone 2: Persons engaged in agriculture 20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 Numbers 6000 Bargadars 4000 2000 Small farmers

…

II -

- Marginal farmers

Mal

Metiali

Chopra

Rajganj

Kalchini

Falakata

Haldibari

Matigara

Kharibari

Islampur

Jalpaiguri

Naxalbari

Nagrakata

Maynaguri

Dhupguri

Mekhliganj

Madarihat

Kumargram

Alipurduar

Phansidewa Alipurduar Blocks in Zone 2

Figure 20 – People engaged in agriculture in blocks of Zone 2

Major issues in the region: 1. The tea industry went through several fundamental changes and a severe crisis that peaked during the first decade of this century. This manifested as many of sick, locked out and closed tea gardens. After a period of great hardship some gardens became operational, though issues of productivity remained. However, despite all efforts, 12 gardens remained closed and two were abandoned at the beginning of 2008 leaving many workers on the verge of hunger. 2. As the tea gardens are reviving, farmers are showing interest in establishing homestead tea gardens; reasons include water scarcity in the dry seasons and lower returns on basic inputs. Intermediaries share a part in this discouraging situation as a most of the (supposed profits) income is wasted by sharing their produce with the itermediaries. This is a hard reality and intermediaries have a strong syndicate that does not allow local farmers to sell their produce directly to the market. 3. Floods – during monsoon season the rivers are full of water and rise and fall, often changing their course causing massive damage to forests and agricultural land (Das, 2009). 4. Misunderstandings between the Supreme Court and forest communities – in 2000 the Supreme Court of India issued a ban on removal of dead, diseased, dying or wind-fallen trees, driftwood and grasses, etc. from any national park or Game Sanctuary. In view of this, rights and concessions cannot be enjoyed in the Protected Areas (PAs). There was a wrong interpretation when all activities were banned, including use of forest resources for survival, and livelihoods of forest communities. The court had no other intention apart from stopping destructive actions for commercial profit in the protected forest areas. Lives and livelihoods of forest villagers are threatened as well as the ecosystem and plantation areas, especially in reserved areas where frequent and devastating floods occur with the continuous changing courses of rivers and streams (Das, 2009). 5. Political disturbance – the area is highly vulnerable to political disturbances; demands for making another state within the state are always present. The poor are the most affected during these disturbances.

Production and productivity of major food crops The district is famous for its tea gardens and sanctuaries, the district of Jalpaiguri also grows rice, wheat, maize, a small portion of pulses and oil seeds, jute and other fibrous crops are among the main crops. Potato and tea are covered as TMC in Figures 21, 22.

16 Zone 2: Production of major crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07 734.3

449.2 419 446.7

33.1 23.1 0.3 2.1 7.8

Rice Wheat Maize Other Pulses Oil seeds Jute Fibres TMC Cereals

Figure 21 – Production of major crops in the district of Jalpaiguri

Zone 2: Productivity of major crops (kg/ha) 2006-07)

2055 1982 1824

860 505 565 10.6 10.5

Rice Wheat Maize Other Cereals Pulses Oil seeds Jute Fibres

Figure 22 – Productivity6 of major crops in Zone 2

6 Productivity for TMC is not available for period of 2006-07 17 Production and productivity of rice Zone 2: Production pattern of Zone 2: Productivity pattern of rice rice

350 2500

300 2000 250 200 1500

150 1000 100 500

50 productivity(kg/ha) Production ('000 ('000 tonnes)Production 0 0 Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro Production 54 322 43 Productivity 1311 1892 2347

Figure 23 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in different seasons in Zone 2 (2006-2007)

As expected, the production of rice is higher in the season of Aman, which is the main Kharif season. Rice production is better than maize and wheat but productivity is lower. Jute production and other fibres do well in this district. There are also tea gardens so people are inclined towards tea production. When farmers’ production/returns are low they shift to tea production, which provides them a minimum monthly income during the top season. This is not possible with conventional agriculture. The local economy economy is also influenced by vegetable production such as potatoes and some chilli.

ZONE 2A KOCH BIHAR Zone 2a, Koch Bihar covers 3 387 km2 and contributes 3.82 percent to the total land mass of the State of West Bengal. Koch Bihar is under the Jalpaiguri Division, located in the northeastern part of the state, surrounded by the districts of Jalpaiguri in the north, state of Assam in the east and the international Indo- Bangladesh boundary in the south and west (NIC-KochBihar, 2011).

Table 7 – Zone 2a districts and blocks

Districts under Zone 2a Blocks falling under the Zone 2a Coochbehar I Coochbehar II Dinhata I Dinhata II KOCH BIHAR Mathabhanga I Mathabhanga II Sitai Sitalkuchi Tufanganj I Tufanganj II

18 Table 8 – Overview of district Koch Bihar

Particulars Measures Geographical area 3387 km2 Area under agriculture 2530.63 km2 1. Net Area for cultivation 246,491 ha 2. Cropping intensity 215 % 3. Single cropped area 24,900 ha 4. Double cropped area 1,41,491 ha 5. Triple cropped area 80,100 ha 6. Irrigated area 35% Area under forest land 56.99 km2 Average annual rainfall 5348.8 mm Maximum temperature 39.90C Minimum temperature 3.90C Relative humidity Highly humid (except Feb to May – 50-70%) Main crops Rice, vegetables, wheat, tobacco, chili, maize and pulses Major rivers Tista, Torsa, Jaldhaka, Raidak, Kaljani, Sankosh and Gadadhar systems etc.

Almost 85-90 percent of the total population depends on agriculture. In spite of poor soil conditions, acidity and lack of irrigation facilities, production and productivity of different crops meet increasing demand. Part of the contribution comes from adoption of improved technologies, inclusion of high-yielding and hybrid varieties of seeds and a series of government schemes such as ATMA, National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), etc. (NIC-KochBihar, 2011).

Major livlihoods and issues7 A favourable climate helps rural Koch Behar contribute to major livelihoods such as agriculture, and the supply of fruit and vegetables to the town. The poorer sections of this semi-rural society are also involved in transport, basic agriculture, livestock rearing, small shops, and as manual labour in construction.

Koch Behar is largely an agricultural zone where more than 70 percent of the total available land is used for cultivation. Only 35 percent of the total cultivable area receives irrigation (NIC-KochBihar, 2011). This situation places agriculture in a position of risk as it is dependent on monsoon rainfall, which from the viewpoint of development is an unfavorable situation.

7 Source: www.voiceofbharat.org 19 Major social and developmental challenges:

1) Lack of irrigation facilities8 – Koch Behar is an irrigation deficient district. There are no major irrigation schemes in the district; about 35 percent of Figure 24 – Map of Koch Bihar the cultivable area is under irrigation. There is a little possibility that the Teesta irrigation canals will benefit the district because of the topography. The district has a large numbers of perennial rivers, khals, beels, and water bodies. These resources are being utilized as a source of surface irrigation through a number of RLI and mini RLI schemes in the region. However, most of these RLI are often unused or underused because of yearly flooding, meandering and heavy siltation of the rivers. Groundwater potential in the district is very high. Pump-operated shallow tube wells are the most viable and popular irrigation scheme among the farmers of this district.

Zone 2a: Persons engaged in agriculture 20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 Numbers 6000 Bargadars 4000 2000 Small farmers 0 Marginal farmers

Blocks in Zone 2a

Figure 25 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 2a

2) Unemployment – although the government has made several efforts through several schemes such as Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yogna (SGSY) and Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) to overcome unemployment in the region, migration to cities for employment is increasing. 3) Cross-border trafficking and domestic trafficking are serious issues. 4) The reion is failing to fuffill energy needs because of improper implementation of energy schemes. 5) Gender bias and violence against women – the sex ratio is low only 949 women per 1 000 men. 6) Rate of school dropouts have increased. 7) Condition of health facilities in the rural areas of the district is very poor.

8 Source of text is the official website for the district of Cooch Behar (http://coochbehar.nic.in). 20 Production and productivity of major food crops Zone 2a: Production pattern of major food crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07

762 770.9

445.8 304.5

25.2 35.2 0.5 4.9 12

Rice Wheat Maize Other Pulses Oil seeds Jute Fibres TMC Cereals

Figure 26 – Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 2a

Zone 2a: Productivity (kg/ha) pattern of major food crops (2006-07) 7016 5966

1862 1956 734 551 533 10.4 10.4

Rice Wheat Maize Other Pulses Oil seeds Jute Fibres TMC Cereals

Figure 27 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 2a

PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY PATTERN OF RICE Zone 2a: Production pattern of Zone 2a: Productivity pattern rice of rice

400 3000

350 2500 300 2000 250 200 1500 150 1000 100

Productivity in kg/ha in Productivity 500 50 0 0 Production in thousand tonnesthousand in Production Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro Production 11 351.4 83.4 Productivity 886 1784 2775

Figure 28 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in Zone 2a in different seasons (2006-2007)

21 ZONE 3 – DAKSHIN DINAJPUR, MALDAH, MURSHIDABAD AND UTTAR DINAJPUR

There are four districts in Zone 3 Dakshin Dinajpur, Maldah, Murshidabad and Uttar Dinajpur.

Uttar Dinajpur9

With two sub-divisions Raiganj and Islampur, there are four municipalities, 9 blocks and 98 panchayets covering 1 516 villages in the district of Uttar Dinajpur. The total population is nearly 2.5 million comprising a mainly rural population. Bengali is the main language, but a sizeable portion of Urdu and Hindi-speaking people also live in Islampur subdivision. The climate is characterized by hot summer with high humidity, abundant rainfall and cold winters (NIC-UttarDinajpur, 2003).

The district forms a part of the basin lying between Rajmahal hills on the east. The older alluvium is estimated to be Pleistocene age. Uttar Dinajpur has very fertile soil, because of alluvial deposition, which helps grow paddy, jute, mesta, sugar cane, etc.

Figure 29 – Map of Uttar Dinajpur

Raiganj on the bank of the River Kulik is the district headquarters of Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary, which is the second largest bird sanctuary in Asia.

Table 9 – Overview of district Uttar Dinajpur

Particular Measure Geographical area (ha) 313080 Villages (numbers) 1516 Population (numbers) 2441794 Male: Female (%) 51:49 No. of families depending on agriculture 239500 No. of persons depending on agriculture 1297557 No. of small cultivators 88536 No. of marginal cultivators 135827 Forest area (acres) 1483.75

Uttar Dinajpur is a newly constructed district, formed in 1992 and is primarily agricultural. Diverse and surplus production of crops such as tea, jute, potato, ginger, spices and pineapple, etc. make the district a strong base for agro- and horticulture-based industries such as:

a) Potato chips from potato b) Ketchup, sauce from tomato c) Jelly, jam from guava, mango, pineapple d) Packed juices from orange, pineapple, mango, guava, and jackfruit e) Ginger oil, ginger finger, slices. f) Pickle from mango, etc. g) Papain from papaya

9 Source of information: http://uttardinajpur.nic.in/ 22 h) Spice powder from chili, turmeric Table 10 – Zone 3 with its districts and blocks

Districts Blocks Balurghat Banshihari Gangarampur DAKSHIN DINAJPUR Harirampur Hili Kumarganj Kushmandi Tapan Bamongola Chanchal0I Chanchal0II Gazole MALDAH Habibpur Harishchandrapur0I Harishchandrapur0II Old Malda Ratua0I Ratua0II Behrampore Beldanga0I Beldanga0II Bharatpur0I Bharatpur0II Burwan Domkal Farakka Hariharpara Jalangi MURSHIDABAD Kandi

Khargram Lalgola Nabagram Nowda Raghunathganj0I Raghunathganj0II Sagardighi Samserganj Suti0I Suti0II Goalpokhar0I Goalpokhar0II UTTAR DINAJPUR Hemtabad Itahar Kaliaganj Karandighi

23 Raiganj

Dakshin Dinajpur Brief history – West Dinajpur district was created out of Dinajpur district in 1947 when India was partitioned. The rest of Dinajpur district is now in Bangladesh. The West Dinajpur district was enlarged in 1956 at the time of reorganization of the State with the addition of some areas of Bihar. The district was split into Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur on 1 April 1992. Balurghat subdivision along with Banshihari and Kushmandi blocks (which were in Raigunj subdivision prior to bifurcation) comprise the new district.

Figure 30 – Map of Dakshin Dinajpur

The district is drained by a number of north-south flowing rivers such as Atrayee, Punarbhava, Tangon and Brahmani. The district is predominantly agricultural with large areas under cultivation.

Dakshin Dinajpur is without large-scale industry. The first medium-scale industry sector was initiated in November 2003. Transport and communication facilities are un satisfactory. A new railway line has been laid between Eklakhi and Balurghat, the district headquarters. Train services were begun 30 December 2004. There is one state highway, only 3 km of National Highway is within the district. Bengali is the principal language and the main communities are Hindus and Muslims who the major portion of the population.

Table 11 – Overview of Dakshin Dinajpur

Particular Measure Geographical area (ha) 2,21,480 Population 15,03,178 Area available for cultivation (ha) 175620 Fallow land (ha) 1.24 Land not available for cultivation (ha) 26513 Cropping intensity 183% Area under high yielding variety seed (paddy) (ha) 26125 Rivers Atrayee, Tangon, Punarbhava, Ichamati, Brahmani.

Zone 3: Persons engaged in agriculture 250000

200000

150000 Persons 100000 Bargadars Small farmers* 50000 Marginal farmers*

I I

II II II

- - -

- -

- - -

Hili

Suti

Kandi

Suti

Itahar

Tapan

Jalangi

Lalgola

Nowda

Ratua

Raiganj

Domkal

Burwan

Farakka

Ratua

Kaliaganj

Habibpur

Gazole

Balurghat

Khargram

Old Malda Old

Sagardighi

Nabagram

Hemtabad

Banshihari

Chanchal

Beldanga

Karandighi

Kumarganj

Kushmandi

Chanchal

Beldanga

Bamongola

Bharatpur

Samserganj

Harirampur

Hariharpara

Bharatpur

Behrampore

Goalpokhar

Gangarampur

Raghunathganj

Harishchandrapur Harishchandrapur Blocks

Figure 31 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 3

Maldah The gateway of North Bengal, Malda, was once the capital of Gour-Banga and covers 3 456 km2. The land is classified into Tal, Diara, and Barind. It is an area of archeological interest (NIC- Malda 2010). During the eighteenth century the district was known for its prosperous cotton and silk industries. Constituted as a municipality in 1867, rice, jute, legumes and oilseeds are among the main crops. Mulberry plantations and mango orchards occupy large areas; the mango trade and silk manufacture are the main economic activities (Natura Beyond, 2011). Figure 32 – Map of Maldah

Table 12 – Overview of District Maldah

Particular Measure Geographical Area (ha) 373300 No. of Villages 3701 Total Population of the District 3290160 Normal Rainfall 1453 mm Forest (ha) 1694.3 Current Fallow Land (ha) 52800 Other Fallow land that Current Fallow (ha) 300 Net Area under Cultivation (ha) 22849 Marginal Holding (below 1.0 acre) 343677; Area-157309 ha Small Holding (1.0-2.0 acre) 74863; Area-112926 ha Medium Holding (4.0-10.0acre) 7528; Area-41342 ha Large Holding (10.0 acres and above) 120; Area-1232 ha Vested land distributed 30332.00 ha Area Irrigated 120067 ha Electricity consumption ('000 KWH) a) Domestic 77560 b) Commercial 13454 c) Industrial 16199 d) Public Lighting 598 e) Agri-irrigation & Dewatering 31627 f) Public water works & Sewerage Pump 4187

26 Major livelihoods and issues Zone 3 may be considered a ‘challenged’ zone; more than 50 percent of the population are small-scale farmers and 12-31 percent are landless (IRRI, 2011). The local economy is dependent on agriculture and small-scale industries. Main constraints to the economy are poor market service, poor access to farm mechanization and increasing population.

Major social and development challenges: 1. Recurring erosion, floods and droughts – the River Ganga can destroy land, lives and homes on a mass scale in every flood season. Short-term measures such as building spurs or attempting to reduce velocity are impractical; the central channel must be dredged regularly according to an executive engineer, from the irrigation department in Maldah (Chattopadhyay, 2003). The damage occurring from floods affects:  agricultural crops;  all Kaccha (made by mud) house;  sources of drinking water;  poultry and livestock;  buildings of any type; and  all types of communication.

Figure 33 – Eroded embankment resulting from flooded Ganga

2. Floods facilitate outbreaks of many diseases such as dehydration, dysentery, influenza, skin disease. 3. Scarcity of drinking water and contamination of water with iron and fluoride is a serious problem in certain parts of the district of Maldah. 4. Lack of permanent garbage-dumping grounds and drainage systems may lead to unhygienic conditions for the urban and rural populations (Sarkar 2011). 5. Uttar Dinajpur is among the least developed districts in West Bengal and India. With a high level of illiteracy, low health care and livelihood access and widespread rural poverty increases vulnerability. 6. Rapid population growth restricts the inclusion of new rural workers into farm-based employment. On the other hand, low level of urbanization constrains the growth of the non-farm sector. 7. Social and economic development of communities pertaining to a specific religion is also at stake. This is not only because of poor implementation of government schemes but also because of the lack of awareness within the community. For example Muslim communities in Zone 3 have a high population with incidence of child labour and migration. (Voice of Bharat, 2011). 8. Contamination of drinking water with arsenic and decreasing groundwater table is of great concern.

27 Production and productivity of major food crops

Zone 3: Production pattern of major crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Rice Wheat Barley Maize Other Gram Pulses Oil seeds Jute Mesta TMC Cereals

Uttar Dinajpur Dakshin Dinajpur Maldah

Figure 34 – Production pattern of major crops in Zone 3

Zone 3: Productivity (kg/ha) pattern of major crops 60000 50000

40000

30000

kg/ha Maldah 20000 Dakshin dinajpur 10000 Uttardinajpur 0

Figure 35 – Productivity pattern of major crops

28 Production and productivity of rice Zone 3: Production pattern of Rice 350 322.5 294.4 300 263.9 258.7

250 201.9 200 Uttardinajpur 150 133.8 Dakshin dinajpur '000 tonnes '000 100 50 Maldah 3.3 18.2 10 0 Aus Aman Boro Seasons

Figure 36 – Production pattern of rice in Zone 3 in three different seasons (2006-2007)

Zone 3: Productivity pattern of Rice 4500 3825 4000 3163 3500 2957 3000 2525 2224 Uttardinajpur 2500 1960 2000 1748 Dakshin dinajpur 1323 1497 1500 Maldah 1000 500 0 Aus Aman Boro

Figure 37 – Productivity pattern of rice in zone 3 in three different seasons (2006-2007)

Zone 2a and Zone 3 are similar in that the productivity of rice is much higher during the Boro season from January to April, than the main Aman from July to end of December. This is remarkable because water scarcity is similar in comparison to the previous season.

West Bengal has poor production of oil seeds; oil seeds as cash crop attract less attention than tea, which is an important point of information. Production of jute is comparable to rice, which is a similar trend for all livelihood zones. Tea and vegetable productivity are in first place; the situation needs deeper analysis at the block level, as production of different crops varies more at the block level than at the district level. Mostly the question arises concerning the better productivity during the Boro season in all zones. In spite of this much better productivity farmers are not producing enough in the Boro season because there is little or no water at this time. The need for AWM is most in places where production of staple food crops is lowest during Boro, this means that production needs to be tracked in all zones. If the area of lower rice production during the Boro season can be determined, then the most vulnerable areas in terms of food production in lean seasons can be tracked. AWM intervention would be most effective in places where water is not available in the Boro season. Aman is the monsoon season and crops can be irrigated with or without groundwater. The only time water is required is during the Boro season when investment would be better placed.

29 ZONE 4 – MALDAH Zone 4 is mainly four blocks of the district of Maldah, which has already been described under Zone 3.

Table 12 – Zone 4 districts and blocks

Districts under Zone 4 Blocks falling under Zone 4 English Bazar MALDAH Kaliachak I Kaliachak II Manikchak

Zone 4: Persons engaged in agriculture 35000 30000

25000 20000 Bargadars 15000 Numbers 10000 Small farmers 5000 Marginal farmers 0 English Bazar Kaliachak-I Kaliachak-II Manikchak Blocks

Figure 38 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 4

Production and productivity of major crops

Zone 4: Production pattern ('000 tonnes) of major crops 2006-07 500 470.6

400 341.3 292.1 300

200 111.1 100 29.5 40.7 1.7 4.6 22.5 5.6 0 Rice Wheat Barley Maize Gram Pulses Oil seeds Jute Mesta TMC

Figure 39 – Production pattern of major crops in Zone 4 (2006-2007)

30 Zone 4: Productivity (kg/ha) pattern of major crops (2006-07) 45000 38947 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 3051 2591 2157 1435 975 861 1009 14.7 9.8 0 Rice Wheat Barley Maize Gram Pulses Oil seeds Jute Mesta TMC

Figure 40 – Productivity pattern of major crops in Zone 4

Production and productivity of rice Zone 4: Production pattern of Zone 4: Productivity pattern rice of rice

300 4500

4000 250 3500 200 3000 2500 150 2000 100 1500 1000 50 Productivity in kg/ha in Productivity 500 0 0

Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro Production in thousand tonnesthousand in Production Production 10 201.9 258.7 Productivity 1497 2525 3825

Figure 41 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in three different seasons in Zone 4

The main issues are: 1. The zone is comprised of mainly low-lying plains, sloping towards the south with undulating areas on the northeast. Old alluvial and relatively unfertile soil, is commonly known as ‘Barind’, which is good for mulburry plantations for the production of raw silk. As it is a low-lying area it is vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season. 2. The block of Manik Chak is vulnerable to heavy soil erosion because of regular floods in the Ganga river, which can cause disstruptions to the silk industry. 3. Kalia Chak, where goat rearing is a viable livelihood activity can be severaly affected by water contamination. 4. Since the tribal population in the zone is quite high, development of the zone mainly depends on the development of the tribal population. Lack of awareness of different issues among the tribal communities has resulted in poor management of natural water resources.. 5. The maximum precipitation occurs from June to September. Lack of proper water-harvesting structures means that local communites are vulnerable to drought during summer.

31 6. In the ‘Barind’ areas where the ground is high and agriculture is the sole occupation, the tendency is that people remain in small hamlets. This tendency towards individuality leads towards a disorganized society and there is an incapacity for major economic activities.

ZONE 5 – MALDAH AND MURSHIDABAD There are two districts in Zone 5 Maldah, only one block, and Murshidabad. Most of the zone is covered by the district Murshidabad; which will be described later in the document.

Table 13 – Zone 5 districts and blocks

Districts under Zone 5 Blocks falling under Zone 5 MALDAH Kaliachak III Bhagwangola I Bhagwangola II MURSHIDABAD Msd Jiaganj

Raninagar I Raninagar II

Murshidabad10 As with other parts of West Bengal, there has been inter-racial mixing in the local communities; people from other parts of India have settled in the area. Figure 42 – Map of Murshidabad

The River Bhagirathi has divided the triangle-shaped district into two broad geographical regions: Rarha area (west of Bhagirathi) and Bagri area (east of Bhagirathi). Both areas are almost equal in size, but are strikingly different in their geology, agricultural, habitation pattern and religions. It seems difficult to believe that tigers, rhinoceroses, and wild buffaloes used to roam in the area until the mid-nineteenth century. Leopards and wild boars were found even much later. Currently, the only wild animals found are a few jackals and the abundant black-faced monkey, which are a common site even in Berhampur Town. Although there is no forest coverage, there are many water bodies such as rivers, canals, lakes and ponds and an abundance of trees and shrubs. Therefore, birds of many species, including migratory birds, are quite common. The eastern half of the district may be described as an isosceles triangle. The Ganga (Padma) and the Bhagirathi forms the two equal sides; the River Jalangi forms almost the entire base. However, the line of drainage is not along any of these rivers. During flooding the two great rivers converge and make their way in a southeastern direction.

10 Source: http://www.murshidabad.nic.in/ 32

Table 14 – Overview of district Murshidabad

Particular Measures Geographical area 5324 Km2 Population 5863717 a) Rural population 5131374 b) Urban population 732343 Forest area (ha) 771 Agriculture area (ha) 408296 Irrigated area (ha) 116950 Annual mean temperature 270C Annual rainfall 1600 mm

MAJOR LIVELIHOODS AND ISSUES CONCERNED Murshidabad has a tropical wet-and-dry climate. Summers are hot and humid with temperatures < 30 C and, during dry spells, the maximum temperatures often exceed 40 C during May and June. Winter tends to last for 2.5 months; making the place favorable for the production of silk and extensive mulberry cultivation is carried out in western Murshidabad. The district is also known for the quality and diversity of mango produced, however, mango is not a major produce in Murshidabad district, unlike the adjoining district of Malda. People are mostly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. The main crops include rice, jute, legumes, oilseed, wheat and barley. There are some silk farms and weaving machines, but they are losing out against modern industries. Murshidabad is famous for the high quality silk produced.

Zone 5: Persons engaged in agriculture 140000

120000

100000

80000

60000 Numbers Bargadars 40000 Small farmers 20000 Marginal farmers 0

Blocks

Figure 43 – Number of persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 5

33 PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MAJOR FOOD CROPS

Zone 5: Production pattern of major crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07 2500 2000 1500 Maldah 1000 Murshidabad 500 0 Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC

Figure 44 – Production pattern of major crops in Zone 5

Zone 5: Productivity (kg/ha) pattern of major crops 2006-07 70000 60000 50000 40000 Maldah 30000 Murshidabad 20000 10000 0 Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC

Figure 45 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 5

PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RICE Zone 5: Production pattern in Zone 5: Productivity pattern in Rice Rice

Murshidabad Maldah Murshidabad Maldah

492.8 475.6 3825 3464 2525 2189 258.7 1908 201.9 1497 62.2 10

Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro

Figure 46 – Production and productivity patterns of rice in three different seasons in Zone 5

34 ZONE 6 PARTS OF BANKURA, BARDHAMAN AND BIRBHUM Zone 6 comprises a few blocks from district Bankura, Bardhaman and Birbhum.

Table 15 – Zone 6 with its districts and blocks

Districts under Zone 6 Blocks falling under Zone 6 Barjora BANKURA G. Ghati

Mejia Andal Ausgram II Barabani Faridpur Durgapur BARDHAMAN Galsi I Jamuria Kanksa Pandabeswar Raniganj Salanpur Khoyrasole Md.Bazar Murarai II BIRBHUM Nalhati I

Rajnagar Rampurhat I Suri I

Birbhium11 Shaped like an isosceles triangle, the district covers an area of 4 545 km2. The district is well drained by a number of rivers and rivulets with a slight southward inclination. The climate is generally dry, mild and healthy; on the western side it is dry and extreme, but is relatively milder on the eastern side. The rainfall is higher in the western areas as compared to the eastern. The eastern portion of the district is a continuation of the rice plain of West Bengal, and the vegetation is characteristic of rice fields in Bengal. Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district with around 75 percent of the population dependent on agriculture. The principal industries include cotton, silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, stone mining and the manufacture of metalware and pottery. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the only heavy industry in the district. Figure 47 – Map of Birbhum

11 Source: http://www.birbhum.nic.in/ 35 Table 16 – Overview of district Birbhum12

Particular Measure Population 3,015,422 a) Rural 2,757,002 (91.43%) b) Urban 258,420 (8.57%) Forest area 159.3 Km2 Agriculture area 3329.05 Km2 Major crops Rice, legumes, wheat, maize, potatoes and sugar cane. Irrigated area 2763.9 Km2 Total inhabited villages 2259 a) Villages with safe drinking water 2234 b) Villages with electricity (domestic) 1,605 Rivers Ajay, Mayurakshi (Mor), Kopai, Bakreshwar, Brahmani, Dwarka, Hinglo, Chapala, Bansloi, Pagla.

Zone 6: Persons engaged in agriculture 25000

20000

15000

Numbers 10000 Bargadars Small farmers* Marginal farmers* 5000

I I I I

II II

II II II

- - - -

- -

- - -

Suri

Galsi

Kalna

Raina

Kanksa

Barjora

Nanoor

Sainthia

G. Ghati G.

Katwa

Nalhati

Rajnagar

Salanpur

Jamalpur

Memari

Murarai

Md.Bazar

Ausgram

Khoyrasole

Ketugram

Mongalkote

Purbasthali

Rampurhat Mayureswar Blocks

Figure 48 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 6

12 Source: www.pacsindia.org/birbhum/ 36 Bardhamann13 Is a town of tanks that are scattered here and there across the town. The district forms the boundary with Dumka (Jharkhand), Birbhum and Murshidabad to the north Nadia in the east, Hooghly, Bankura and Purulia to the south and Dhanbad (Jharkhand) in the west. The river Barakar forms the state boundary to the west; the Ajay separates Birbhum and Dumka to the north, with exception of a portion of Katwa subdivision; the Damodar forms a southern boundary with Purulia and Bankura, while Bhagirathi forms the main eastern boundary with a few exceptions. Figure 49 – Map of Bardhman

The maximum length from east to west is 208 km, maximum width from north to south is 112 km. The shape of the district resembles a hammer.

Forest – the forest areas are chiefly situated in the lateritic and red soil high lands in the Aushgram PS of Sadar subdivision and in the Asansol subdivision. In Aushgram PS the forest areas are interspersed with paddy fields. The Durgapur forests are continued in the Birbhum district beyond the Ajay, while the forest area in the Asansol subdivision forms a part of the forest area of Dumka district of Jharkhand.

Table 17 – Overview of district Bardhhaman

Particular Measure Geographical area 7024 Km2 Population 6895514 a) Rural 63.06% b) Urban 36.94 % Rainfall 1442 mm Temperature 430C (Max) - 50C (Min) Forest area 22270 ha Agriculture area 698740 ha a) Net cropped area 466630 ha b) New irrigated area 335890 ha Major rivers Damodar, Bhagirathi, Barakar, Ajay, Dwarakeswar, Nonia

MAJOR LIVELIHOODS AND ISSUES Birbhum – the region is a dual blend of rolling plateau made up of laterite and Gangetic alluvial plains, which is highly conducive to cultivation. Hence the economy of the district is entirely based on agriculture (Indianetzone, 2008). The dry season in Birbhum is highly adverse to agriculture. Except for the monsoon the dry weather prevails throughout the year. Apart from this, most of the land is dry and the rivers are only rainfed, meaning that agriculture is supported neither by rain nor by rivers. The Government has, therefore, undertaken irrigation projects such as the Mayurakshi River Project and Hinglow River Projects to promote agricultural development in the region. Birbhum is a major center for cottage industries; the most notable being is a non-profit rural organization named Amar Kutir. Other main industries in Birbhum are agriculture-based industries, textiles, forestry, arts and crafts. Sriniketan is noted for its dairy industry and as a forestry centre. Some of the notable forms of cottage industries include textile — especially cotton and locally harvested tussar silk, jute works, batik,

13 Source: http://bardhaman.nic.in/distataglance.html 37 kantha stitch, macramé (weaving by knotting threads), leather, pottery and terracotta, solapith, woodcarving, bamboo and cane craft, metal works and various tribal crafts. There are 8 883 small- and medium-scale industries. Principal industries of the district include cotton and silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, and the manufacture of metalware and pottery. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the only heavy industry in the district. Bardhaman14 15

Bardhaman is the only district in the state of West Bengal that has both industry and agriculture. Several iron and steel companies are located in the district. On average, about 58 percent of the population belongs to the agriculture sector, while the non- agricultural sector accounts for the remaining 42 percent (NIC-Bardhaman 2011). Rice and oilseed milling and hosiery, cutlery, and tool manufacturing are the chief industries. The eastern part of the district is a low alluvial plain, densely populated and often waterlogged and swampy. The western region is one of the busiest industrial tracts in West Bengal, with rich coal, fireclay, and iron-ore Figure 50 – Population growth in Bardhaman deposits, especially in the Raniganj coalfield area. The Damodar Valley Corporation provides irrigation, industrial power supply, and flood control. Rice, corn (maize), legumes, and oilseeds are the chief crops in the east. Major social and developmental challenges include population growth, poor rural development and lack of proper infrastructure.

Production and productivity of major food crops Zone 6: Production pattern of major food crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07 4000

3000

2000 Birbhum Bardhaman 1000

0 Rice Wheat Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC

Figure 51 – Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 6

14 Source: http://www.bardhaman.gov.in 15 Source: http://www.grassoportal.com/district/burdwan.asp 38 Zone 6: Productivity pattern (kg/ha) of major food crops 2006-07 40000

30000

20000 Birbhum Bardhaman 10000

0 Rice Wheat Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC

Figure 52 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 6

Production and productivity of rice Zone 6: Production pattern of Zone 6: Productivity pattern of Rice Rice

Bardhaman Birbhum Bardhaman Birbhum

3442 3462 1201.3 3232 2864 3070 960.3 2591 722

223.3 43.7 15.8

Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro

Figure 53 – Production and productivity patter of rice in three different seasons in Zone 6

ZONE 7 – BANKURA, BARDHAMAN, HAORA, HUGLI, NADIA, NORTH 24 PARGANAS, PASCHIM MEDINIPUR, PURBA MEDINIPUR, SOUTH 24 PARGANAS

Table 18 – District 7 districts and blocks

Districts under Zone 7 Blocks falling under Zone 7 BANKURA Bishnupur, Indus, Joypur, Kotulpur, Patrasayer, Sonamukhi

Bhatar, Burdwan I, Burdwan II, Galsi II, Jamalpur, Kalna I, Kalna II, Katwa I, BARDHAMAN Katwa II, Ketugram II, Khandaghosh, Memari I, Memari II, Monteswar,

Purbasthali I, Purbasthali II, Raina I, Raina II HAORA Amta I, Amta II, Bagnan I, Bagnan II, Jagatballavpur, Pandhla, Shyampur I, Udaynarayanpur, Uluberia I, Uluberia II HUGLI Arambagh, Balagarh, Dhaniakhali, Goghat I, Goghat II, Haripal, Jangipara, Khanakul I, Khanakul II, Pandua, Pursurah, Tarakeswar Chakdaha, Chapra, Hanskhali, Kaliganj, Karimpur I, Karimpur II, Krishnaganj, NADIA Krishnanagar I, Krishnanagar II, Nabadwip, Nakashipara, Ranaghat II,

Ranaghat I, Santipur, Tehatta I, Tehatta II, NORTH 24 PARGANAS Baduria, Bagdah, Bongaon, Gaighata, Habra I, Swarupnagar

Chandrakona I, Chandrakona II, Dantan I, Dantan II, Daspur I, Daspur II, Debra, PASCHIM MEDINIPUR Garbeta I, Garbeta II, Ghatal, Keshpur, Kharagpur II, Mohanpur, Narayangarh,

Pingla, Sabong Bhagawanpur I, Bhagwanpur II, Chandipur (Nandigram III), Egra I, Egra II, PURBA MEDINIPUR Kolaghat (Panskura II), Mahishadal, Moyna, Nandakumar, Panskura I,

Potashpur I, Potashpur II, Sahid Matangini, Tamluk SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Budge Budge I, Budge Budge II, Diamond Harbour II, Falta

Nadia Figure 54 – Map of Nadia

Table 19 – Overview of district Nadia

Particular Measure Geographical area 3927 Km2 Population 4604827 a) Rural 36,25,308 b) Urban 9,79,519 Cultivated agricultural area 272135 ha Total Forest Area 1249 ha a) Reserved area for utilization in future 510 ha b) Reserved Forest Area 302 ha c) Area under Social Forestry 640 ha

Hooghli The district is completely flat land with no more than an elevation of 200 m anywhere in the area. The region’s major rivers are the Hooghly and Damodar. Hooghly is one of the most economically developed districts in West Bengal. It is also the main jute cultivation, jute industry, and jute trade hub with jute mills being mainly located along the riverbanks of Hooghly. There are also a number of industrial complexes including one of the largest car manufacturing plants in India 'Hindustan Motors'. Figure 55 – Map of Hooghly

From prehistoric times the district of Hooghly has offered a rich cultural heritage. The region of Hooghly existed even when there was no separate state called West Bengal, inhabited by several generations over the years the district has inherited a diversified cultural heritage.

Howrah Howrah, the second largest city of West Bengal lies along the west bank of the Hooghly river and is one of the main administrative districts in the state. With a population of over 1 million, Howrah draws its economy chiefly from industries and only ≈ 30 percent of the total population is engaged in cultivation.

East Medinipur16 With roughly 4 060 km2, east Medinipur is one of the 18 administrative districts of West Bengal. The total population of the district is ≈ 4.5 million and is comprised of four subdivisions Tamluk, Haldia, Egra and Contai.

Figure 56 – Map of Howrah

The district has an excellent transport and communication network of national highways and railways. A major existing industrial base at Haldia and Kolaghat, availability of skilled labour at comparatively lower rates, abundance of electric power and a business environment conducive to industrial growth, both on the labour and political fronts, which is positive for promotion and development of micro and small medium enterprises (MSME) in this district. Aquaculture and shrimp farming has been taken up in a big way in the coastal belt, and floriculture and horticultural activities are concentrated in a major portion of Tamluk subdivision. In Haldia a large number of heavy engineering, chemical, and small-scale clusters are growing. Similarly, in Contai, Egra, Digha, Tamluk, Mahishadal and Kolaghat a large number of small-scale Industries are spread throughout. Handloom-weaving is a traditional industry in this district and a considerable number of people are engaged in this activity.

Figure 57 – Map of East Medinipur

16 Source: http://www.indianetzone.com/ 41 West Midnapur17 West Medinipur district has been carved out from the district of Midnapore, which came into existence on the 1st January 2002. It has a total geographical area of 9 295.28 km2 and a population of 5 193 411 as per the 2001 census. The district is primarily agricultural, with cultivation being the chief livelihood of a majority of the people. Paddy occupies the first place in production. The district has a suitable agro-climatic for the cultivation of mulberry and horticulture crops such as mango, banana, guava, lemon, orange, papaya, cashew and jackfruit. The district is well known for the production of mulberry and tussar silks, and silk saris from Midnapore are much in demand. Kharagpur, an important junction of the South-Eastern Railway, is located centrally in the district, which connects the district to all parts of the country for passengers as well as goods.

Figure 58 – Map of West Medinipur

North 24 Paraganas North 24 Parganas is West Bengal’s most populous district. It is also the tenth largest district in the State by area and second most densely populated district in the country. The district lies within the Ganges- Brahmaputra delta. The River Ganges flows along the entire west border of the district. There are many other rivers, which include the Ichhamati, Jamuna, and Bidyadhari. North 24 Parganas is one of nine (including Kolkata) severely arsenic-affected districts in West Bengal. The climate is tropical, like the rest of the Gangetic West Bengal. The monsoon lasts from early June to mid-September. The weather remains dry during the winter (mid-November to mid-February) and humid during summer. Figure 58 – North 24 Parganas

Folk culture – is one of the main traditions of West Bengal. The District of North 24-Parganas is proud of its folk culture such as Jhumur, Kabigan, Tarjagan, Manasha vasan, Rayani, Austakgan, Banabibir Pala, Tusu, Patar Bashi Bhatiyali, etc. These various forms of folk culture have already reached people throughout West Bengal as well as India.

17 Source: http://www.indianetzone.com/ 42 Table 20 – Overview of district North 24 Parganas

Description Particulars Population 8,930,295 Geographical area 4094 Km2 Cultivable Area 2,71,845 ha Net cropped Area 2,64,952 ha Net area irrigated 1,67,128 ha Forest Land 4,221 ha Rainfall 1,579mm(Normal) Temperature 410C in May (Max) and 100C in January (Min) Relative Humidity 50% (March) - 90% ( July) Net Water Area 73,916 ha Area under Pisciculture 36,322 ha

Bankura18 An overwhelming agro-economic base and low urbanization and industrialization characterize the economy of the district of Bankura. The district is broadly divided into two regions: the alluvial plains in the east and the undulating tract to the west. Within the district, and even within these regions, villages vary in their geographical features and in their physical forms and composition of economic and social life. Agriculture forms the prime contributor to the economy. The net cultivable area is 43 million ha, and about 46 percent of the net-cropped area is under irrigation. Mines and minerals play a vital role in the economy. Mines and minerals-based ventures have been established on the stretch of land from Bankura to Saltora. Certain areas in the region have been setting up agriculture-based industries such as rice and oil mills. Cottage and small-scale industries, which form a major segment of the district`s economy. Besides agriculture, these industries provide maximum employment opportunities and account for nearly 9 percent of the district income. The forests produce various medicinal flora and fauna that are routinely exported to neighbouring districts and outside the state. Figure 59 – Map of Bankura

18 Source: http://www.indianetzone.com/ 43 Production and productivity pattern of major food crops Zone 7: Production pattern of major food crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07

Bardhaman Bankura Birbhum West Midnapur East Midnapur Nadia Hoogly Howrah North 24 Parganas

2000

1500

1000

500

0 Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil Jute seeds TMC

Figure 60 – Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 7

As seen in Figure 66 the trend in rice, jute and tea production is more or less similar for all livelihood zones in West Bengal. The two districts of Bardhman and Nadia are quite opposite in the production of rice and tea. Tea here is registered as TMC, which includes vegetable production. The production of rice is equivalent to production of TMC in Nadia district and tea and other vegetable crops are cash crops. West Midnapur also has good rice production in the main season, i.e. Aman, but it lags behind Bardhman for total production of rice for the entire year. There is low availability of water in the Boro season in West Bengal, and west Midnapur is no exception in this regard. The main season requiring water the most is Boro; when there is very little to no rain and all water- harvesting structures are dried by the end of the first weeks of April, literally no water is left in the water- harvesting tanks. All rivers are already dried by the end of March, so it is the most difficult time for farmers to collect water for agriculture. The only source of water during the dry season is groundwater; which will be discussed in the chapter on ‘solutions’. AWM relies on the use of available groundwater for agriculture and several methods have been proposed for using this water, including low-cost pumps. Validation of methods needs to be carried out so as not put agriculture at risk in the long term and to ensure the farmer higher output from the same field.

Zone 7: Persons engaged in agriculture 70000

60000

50000

40000

Numbers 30000

Bargadars 20000 Small farmers Marginal farmers 10000

I I I I

I I I

I I

II II

II II II

- -

- - -

- -

- - -

III)

Egra

Amta

Kalna

Chapra

Tamluk

Raina

Budge

Baduria

Kaliganj

Keshpur

Katwa

Daspur

Goghat

Memari

Bagnan

Garbeta

Hanskhali

Tehatta

Panskura

Uluberia

Nabadwip

Burdwan

Ranaghat

Mahishadal

Potashpur

Krishnaganj

Dhaniakhali

Shyampur

Kharagpur

Purbasthali

Narayangarh

Jagatballavpur

Budge

Bhagawanpur

Sahid MatanginiSahid Chandipur (NandigramChandipur Blocks

Figure 61 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 7

Zone 7: Prodctivity pattern of major food crops (kg/ha) 2006-07

18000 16000 14000

12000 Rice 10000 Wheat 8000 Maize 6000 Pulses 4000 2000 Oil seeds 0 Jute TMC

Figure 62 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zones 7

Production and productivity pattern of rice Zone 7: Production pattern of Zone 7: Productivity pattern of rice rice 1400 4000 1200 3500 1000 3000 800 2500 2000 600 1500 400 Aus 1000 Aus

200 500

Aman Aman

0 0

… …

Boro Boro

Nadia Nadia

Hoogly Hoogly

Howrah Howrah

Bankura Bankura

Birbhum Birbhum

North 24 24 North 24 North

Bardhaman Bardhaman

East MidnapurEast MidnapurEast West Midnapur West Midnapur

Figure 63 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in zones 7 and 7a

46 ZONE 7A – BARDHAMAN AND BIRBHUM Zone 7a typically consists of a few blocks of the districts Bardhaman and Birbhum. Major livelihood activities have already been discussed under Zone 7.

Districts under Zone 7a Blocks falling under Zone 7a Ausgram I BARDHAMAN Ketugram I

Mongalkote Bolpur Sriniketan Dubrajpur Illambazar Labhpur Mayureswar I BIRBHUM Mayureswar II Murarai I Nalhati II Nanoor Rampurhat II Sainthia Suri II

Zone 7a: Persons engaged in agriculture 20000 18000 16000

14000 12000

Numbers 10000 8000 Bargadars 6000 Small farmers 4000 Marginal farmers 2000 0

Blocks

Figure 64 – Persons engaged in agricultuer in Zone 7a

47 Zone 7a has the following characteristics: 1. Zone is a mix of uneven lateritic territory and alluvial flood plains. 2. There has been a regular increase in the occurance of droughts putting the local economy at risk. 3. This zone is close to the main agriculture area of the district Bardhaman, which is also called the ‘Rice Bowl’, however there is far less production of rice and other agriculture crops. 4. Lack of proper water-harvesting structures in the zone results in low surface runoff, causing reduction in the groundwater. Lower groundwater level prevents small and marginal farmers from obtaining enough water. There have been cases of farmers committing suicide as a result of corp failures in the zone.

ZONE 8 – BANKURA, WEST MEDINIPUR AND PURULIA DISTRICTS This zone belongs to undulating Lateritic region and is under the agro-climatic subdivisions of West Bengal comprising Bankura, West Medinipur and Purulia districts.

Table22 – Zone 8 districts and blocks

Districts Blocks falling under Zone 8 Bankura Bankura I, Bankura II, Chhatna, Hirbandh, Indpur, Onda, Saltora, Sarenga, Simlapal, Taldangra West BinpurI, Garbeta II, Gopiballavpur I, Gopiballavpur II, Jamboni, Jhargram, Keshiary, Medinipur Kharagpur I, Medinipur, Nayagram, Salboni, Sankrail Puruliya Arsha, Balarampur, Bandowan, Hura, Jaypur, Kashipur, Manbazar I, Manbazar II, Neturia, Para, Puncha, Purulia I, Purulia II, Raghunathpur I, Raghunathpur II, Santuri

Purulia As per the 2001 census the total population is 2 535 516, out of which 89.93 percent reside in rural areas and 10.07 percent live in urban areas. Cultivation of this district is predominantly mono-cropped. About 60 percent of the total cultivated land is upland. Out of total agricultural holdings about 73 percent belongs to small and marginal farmers with scattered and fragmented smallholdings. Paddy is the primary crop, 50 percent of the total area is under net-cropped area and only 17 percent of the net-cropped area is for multi-crop cultivation. Aman paddy cultivation amounts to 77 percent of the net-cropped area. The crops are grown mostly under rainfed conditions; generally with low fertilizer consumption per unit area. Thus per hectare production is low compared to other districts of West Bengal. Fisheries are viable activities in the district, but results are not encouraging; tanks/ponds are not utilized properly. Total inland area of the district is 71 255 ha leaving ample opportunity to bring more area under efficient Pisciculture. Figure 65 – Map of Purulia

Forests in Purulia – total forest coverage in this district, including social forestry and degraded forest as per satellite imagery data, is 185 726 ha, which is 29.69 percent of the total land in the district. The management and maintenance of the forest is carried out by Joint Forest Protection Committees, which are under the active control of different divisions of the Forest Department. At present 702 Forest Protection Committees are working in this district. These committees have helped protect the plantation areas and have guarded against the illegal felling of trees.

48 The natural forests are mostly mixed and restricted to the northwest covering the Ajodhya and Panchet hills of the northeast. As per remote sensing data the forest cover of this district is increasing as compared to its past status. The extensive farm and social forestry plantation programmes may have largely contributed to the increase in forest cover.

Zone 8: Persons engaged in agriculture 25000

20000

15000

Numbers 10000 Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers 5000

I I I I

II II

- - - -

- -

Para

Hura

Onda

Arsha

Jaypur

Indpur

Saltora

Santuri

Salboni

Puncha

Neturia

Sankrail

Binpur

Sarenga

Jamboni

Chhatna

Purulia

Simlapal

Keshiary

Kashipur

Purulia

Jhargram

Hirbandh

Bankura

Taldangra

Garbeta

Nayagram

Bankura

Medinipur

Bandowan

Manbazar

Balarampur

Kharagpur

Manbazar

Gopiballavpur

Raghunathpur

Gopiballavpur Raghunathpur Blocks

Figure 67 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 8

Poverty and Livelihood Challenges

Table 21 – Percentage of the underdeveloped communities

Districts Total ST ST (%) SC SC (%) Population Purulia 2536516 463452 18.27 463956 18.29 Bankura 3192695 330783 10.36 997408 31.24 West Midnapur 5193411 772177 14.86 937340 18.04 Total 10922622 1566412 14.34 2398704 21.96 This zone has the maximum population of the schedule tribe population who are considered to be the most underdeveloped class in the state and the country. Purulia district has the highest scheduled tribe (ST )population (over 18 percent) in the zone and the state. At the same time the zone has a significant scheduled caste population who are also underdeveloped class. This zone is completly rural, comprising an average rural population of 90 percent with a limited number of industries. Table 22 – Work availability in different districts

Work availability Total workers (TW) Class of Total Workers District Number P.C. Cultivators Agricultural Household Ind. Other Workers Labourers Workers Number PC to Number PC to Number PC to Number PC to TW TW TW TW Purulia 1127488 44.45 352712 31.28 406223 36.03 84466 7.49 284087 25.2 Bankura 1427272 44.7 439957 30.82 503214 35.26 83492 5.85 400609 28.07 West 2131547 41.04 639201 29.99 748661 35.12 163984 7.69 579701 27.2 Midnapur

As stated in the table above, over 60 percent of employment opportunities in the zone are agricultural, which is the main source of livelihood. Other occupations in Purulia and Bankura include making biri, an indigenous product used instead of cigarettes made from tendu leaves, which is a non-timber forest product. Shaal-leaf plates are made in a forest fringe area of West Midnapur. Both sectors are unorganized and operate through a localized market chain dominated by intermediaries; exploitative agents. Though agriculture is the main source of livelihoods in the zone, data show over 90 percent of the land holdings belong to marginal and small-scale farmers. Critically, almost 70 percent of the landholding belongs to marginal farmers as shown in the table below. Here the average land-holding pattern, is considered to be 1 ha or less per family. The increase in the population during the last decade resulted in further marginalization of assets, especially land ownership. Of this land, about 50 percent is uplands with very low productivity in fragmented and scattered parcels. Approximately 15 percent of the land is irrigated, and most marginal farmers do not have access to irrigation. The zone experiences poor monsoon rains once in almost every three years, which results in the total loss of kharif paddy, particularly in the uplands. Such widespread poverty, and the frequent occurrence of natural disasters, limits the possibility of any savings and wealth formation, excluding the possibility of investment to improve resources. Thus, most marginal and small- farmers are living in vulnerable conditions that deteriorate with every passing year.

51 Table 23 – Land size class in the zone

S I Z E - C L A S S Average Total land land holdings Districts Marginal Small Semi-medium Medium Large holding (no.) No.of % No.of % small No.of No.of No.of (ha) holdings marginal holdings holding holdings holdings holdings

Purulia 213085 70.67168 63750 21.1433 22455 2197 27 0.86 301514

Bankura 239365 65.21461 84960 23.14721 36870 5827 20 1.06 367042

West Midnapur 577469 84.89282 82262 12.09321 19001 1478 23 0.75 680233

To summarize, a little under half the population of rural Zone 8 is living below the poverty line as per official estimates. The entire district is drought prone. Over 70 percent of the population is dependent on marginal agriculture and allied activities, with low incomes and stagnant productivity. Thus, the challenge is not merely to create new livelihoods to offset the effects of population growth, but to make existing agricultural-livelihoods more productive so that persons engaged in agriculture can earn an adequate income to meet their basic needs.

Topographically and agro-ecologically, Zone 8 is an extension of the Chhotanagpur plateau, characterized by an undulating terrain with hilly outcrops and average annual rainfall of 1 300 mm. The productivity of this land under a traditional cropping system (a single crop of kharif paddy) is very low, as soil fertility and water-holding capacity are low, water control is difficult and soils are shallow. The broad classification of land is as follows:

 valley land (bohal)  medium lowland (kanali)  medium upland (baid)  upland (taand)  homestead land (Badi)

These are illustrated in Figure 73. Excluding forests and land under the custody of different government departments, the use of privately owned land is better understood in the context of livelihoods. However, as individual holdings are also set in a particular geographical location in the landscape, it makes sense to look at the general terrain features.

Figure 68 – A typical village transact

As shown in Figure 69, a family owns 2.69 acres, divided across four land categories. Apart from their own land, there is forestland that is used for fuel and other non-timber forest product such as shal, tendu leaves, mushrooms, etc. The table below explains land categories and their usage.

Figure 69 – Resource ownership pattern of a typical marginal family in the zone

53 Table 24 – Land categories and their usage

Type of land Status Ownership Scope for improvement Forest lands Green cover, vulnerable to illegal felling. Forest Long-term protection and soil moisture department. conservation to enhance growth. Degraded forest lands used as pasture lands Protection, new plantation, soil and by villagers moisture conservation. Fallow uplands Mostly wastelands, highly eroded with Almost all With land development for soil (taand*) occasional presence of bushes or stubbles of families have moisture conservation or irrigation trees some share. development, could be brought under orchard

Homestead A family may have 500-800 sq. m., usually All categories of Lands at the back yard could be best lands (Badi) reserved for extension of houses as families families have productive assets for women provided grow/split. Sometimes uplands, used to grow such lands. As there is access to irrigation. Several vegetables for home consumption. Some usual, poorer neighbouring families could get families might have a dug well, used as a have less. together to share a dug well to source of drinking water and to irrigate intensify homestead farming. vegetable patches if cultivated. Terraced & Without irrigation support, people grow only Poorer families Could be converted into double bunded mid- monsoon paddy. Vulnerable to the vagaries of on an average cropped lands with low cost water uplands (baid) the monsoon.. have 0.10-0.15 harvesting and irrigation infrastructure ha of such lands. development. Terraced & Used to cultivate longer duration, increasingly Poorer families Could grow three crops by developing bunded mid low HYV, paddy during kharif, these are the most on an average water harvesting and irrigation lands (kanali) & productive and the only secure source of food have 0.08 –0.15 infrastructure and good water low lands crops. Sporadic cultivation of pulses or ha of such lands. management. Farm fisheries possible. (bohal) oilseeds in winter.

Irrigation and agriculture

Irrigated area (ha)- Irrigated-Rice productivity District Net sown Area(ha) considering repetitive (kg/ha) irrigation Purulia 310.24 71.13 2092 Bankura 344.66 1157.621 2981 West-Midnapur 555.62 428.12 2874 Table 25 – The percentage of cultivable land and irrigated area (2006-07)

Irrigation coverage is calculated on the basis of total irrigation provided to an area in different seasons of a year (say for three crop seasons). The Bankura irrigation coverage with respect to net sown area in 2006- 2007 is the cumulative coverage figure and is too small for the other two districts as stated. Most of the canal command areas do not receive water when needed. A large number of villages have no irrigation coverage at all. Fluctuation of rainfall, particularly early withdrawal of monsoons in some years, drastically reduces the sources in the command area. Considering the cumulative irrigated area coverage, it is noticeable that there is almost no second irrigated crop in Purulia district, similar to West Midnapur. At the same time, natural resource husbandry is not practiced, which resultes in very poor crop production. The highest rice yield in the zone under irrigation is far less than the average state yield and falls far behind the highest irrigated rice production of 3.6 tonne/ha. The typical cycle in the zone is shown below.

Figure 70 – A typical cycle in the zone

Agriculture is the backbone of the rural economy in Zone 8, and more than 80 percent of the population is directly dependent upon agriculture. Modern farming practices, however, are yet to take root and a many farmers continue to follow traditional practices with low yields. As in other hilly and undulating parts of the country, cereal crops such as paddy and maize occupy a major portion of the agricultural area in the zone. Other important crops grown are wheat and oilseeds; paddy dominates the current cropping pattern. As a result of a lack of irrigation facilities; small size of land holdings; lack of extension services for input management and practices; and lack of access to institutional credi crop yields are extremely low. A majority of farmers cultivate only one crop a year because of the lack of irrigation, resulting in a low income.

Livestock in the zone is of poor quality, and primarily an adjunct to subsistence agriculture – cattle of non- descript quality are kept primarily for draft power and manure. However, because of to the practice of free grazing and non-descript breeds of cattle, the contribution of livestock to the economy in general and to agriculture (by way of manure and draft power) is limited, even though the per capita availability of livestock compares well with that of the all India average. The practice of rearing livestock is mainly to cope with emergency situations and for festivals.

55 PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MAJOR FOOD CROPS

Zone 8: Production pattern of major food crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 Purulia 1000 Bankura 800 600 West Midnapur 400 200 0 Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC

Figure 71 – Production patter of major crops in Zone 8

Zone 8: Productivity pattern (kg/ha) of major food crops 2006-07 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC

Purulia Bankura West Midnapur

Figure 72 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 8

PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RICE Zone 8: Production pattern of Zone 8: Productivity pattern of Rice Rice

Purulia Bankura West Midnapur Purulia Bankura West Midnapur

1281 3165 2813 946 2618 2615 2497 24842760 725 1961 1501 436 139 3 53 81 3

Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro

Figure 73 – Production and productivity pattern of rice in three different seasons in Zone 8

56 ZONE 9 PARTS OF BANKURA, PASCHIM MEDINIPUR AND PURULIYA Zone 9 covers a few blocks of district. All three districts have alrady been explained under Zone 8, however from the viewpoint of livelihoods Zone 9 is not the same as Zone 8.

Districts Blocks falling under Zone 9 Khatra BANKURA Raipur

Ranibandh PASCHIM MEDINIPUR Binpur II Baghmundi PURULIYA Barabazar Jhalda I Jhalda II

Zone 9: Persons engaged in agriculture 16000

14000

12000

10000

8000

Numbers Bargadars 6000 Small farmers 4000 Marginal farmers 2000

Blocks

Figure 74 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 9

Main characteristics of the zone are:

1. The Purulia portion is actually the forest-fringed area of Zone 8. The topography is comprised of steep, granite hills. This means there is very little soil or vegetation. 2. This zone may be considered as the recharge zone however, the topography is unsuitable because steep slopes do not allow water to percolate into the soil and results in fast surface runoff. 3. The majority of farmers belong to the small-scale and marginal category. Livelihoods are mainly dependent on either forests or on agriculture. Forest-based livelihoods such as collection of fuelwood, tendu leaves and mushrooms are of significant economic value to the farmers. 4. The zone is not entirely dependent on agriculture; goat rearing is a viable activity that provides higher returns in comparison to agriculture. This is still a coping mechanism, as farmers’ economic situations prevent them from purchasing higher priced staple food items from the market.

57 5. The zone is rainfed and maximum rainfall occurs during the monsoon season; local communities are then vulnerable to summer drought. 6. Agriculture is mainly single cropping during the kharif season, mainly paddy cultivation during the rainy season, which is mostly flooded so that farmers do not receive optimum production from their fields.

ZONE 10 PARTS OF HAORA, HUGLI, NADIA, NORTH AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Zone 10 is a few blocks of the districts Haora, Hugli, Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas.

Table 26 – Zone 10 districts and blocks

Districts under Zone 10 Blocks falling under Zone 10 HAORA Domjur Sankrail Chanditala I Chanditala II HUGLI Chinsurah Mogra Polba Dadpur Serampur Uttarpara Singur NADIA Haringhata Deganga NORTH 24 PARGANAS Habra II

Haroa Bhangar I Bhangar II SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Bishnupur I Bishnupur II Sonarpur Thakurpukur Maheshtala

Zone 10: Persons engaged in agriculture 30000 25000

20000 15000

Numbers 10000 5000 Bargadars Small farmers 0 Marginal farmers

Blocks

Figure 75 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 10

PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MAJOR CROPS

Zone 10: Production pattern of major food crops ('000 tonnes) 2006-07 2000

1500 Nadia 1000 Howrah

500 south 24 Parganas North 24 Parganas 0 Rice Wheat Maize Total Total Oil Jute TMC Pulses seeds

Figure 76 – Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 10

59 Zone 10: Productivity pattern of major food crops (kg/ha) 2006-07 20000

15000 Nadia 10000 Howrah 5000 south 24 Parganas North 24 Parganas 0 Rice Wheat Maize Total Total Oil Jute TMC Pulses seeds

Figure 77 – Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 10

Zone 10 is particular in that it is a combination of sweet and saline water zones. There is high rainfall of around 2 300 mm, which mostly occurs during the monsoon season. There are many rivers that are connected to the ocean, the Bay of Bengal, where there are always tides in the rivers. During the rainy season the entire zone is flooded; as there is no outlet for the water the usual result is waterlogging, stagnant water and higher salinity. This increased salinity directly impacts local livelihoods. Farmers prefer agri-pisciluture because of the stagnant water. This type of agriculture is also known as ‘tide based-agriculture’. During high tides the water enters agriculture fields, where it accumulates; farmers then practice paddy cultivation and fish farming in the stagnant water. This zone has great potential for agricultural water management. The land is poor quality, where good agriculture is possible only in the summer. Improved practices could increase returns, even in the monsoon season. Agriculture is possible even in flooded conditions, only that the salinity of the stagnant water is an constraint. Floodwater keeps the salinity level low, however, if the water level falls the crop may fail because paddy cannot tolerate high salinity.

60 ZONE 11 – FIVE BLOCKS OF SOUTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT Zone 11 contains five blocks from the district of South 24 Parganas.

Districts under Zone 11 Blocks falling under Zone 11 Diamond Harbour I Kulpi SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Mandirbazar

Mograhat I Mograhat II

Zone 11: Persons engaged in agriculture 20000

15000

10000 Bargadars

Numbers Small farmers 5000 Marginal farmers 0 D-Harbour-I Kulpi Mandirbazar Mograhat-I Mograhat-II Blocks

Figure 78 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 11

Chief characteristics of the zone:

1. The zone is typically agricultural, consisting of semi-urban and rural areas; only rural areas contribute to agricultural production. 2. Similar to Zone 10, this zone also has problems realted to water stagnation. The main reason for waterlogging is the encroachment of existing ponds and khals used to store water during the rainy season. They have been occupied to make new houses and other infrastructure. The encroachment has left no space water storage in the zone. 3. Over time, local rivers have silted, thus increasing the riverbed. This means that during high tides and the rainy season, the river crosses the bunds and enters fields. 4. Local people have adopted a coping mechanism in the form of ‘bund farming’. They grow vegetables over the bunds twice a year, along with the rice. Bund farming is successful because of the lower salinity on the bunds, because most salts are leached into the soil during the rain. 5. Freshwater fisheries are also a major source of livelihood.

61 ZONE 12 SOME BLOCKS OF NORTH 24 PARGANAS, EAST MEDINIPUR AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Zone 12 covers some blocks of districts North 24 Parganas, East Medinipur and South 24 Parganas.

Districts under Zone 12 Blocks falling under Zone 12 Basirhat I NORTH 24 PARGANAS Basirhat II Hasnabad Minakhan Contai I Contai III Deshapran (Contai II) Haldia Khejuri I EAST MEDINIPUR Khejuri II

Nandigram I Nandigram II Ramnagar I Ramnagar II Sutahata Baruipur Canning II Jaynagar I SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Jaynagar II

Kakdwip Mathurapur I Sagar

Chief characteristics of the zone are:

1. The zone is agriculture dependent but is also affected by higher salinity issues and is, therefore, not very different from Zone 11. 2. Tide-based agriculture and vegetable cultivation is the major source of livelihood. 3. Capture fishery is highly remunerative to the population and acts as a coping mechanism in the event of lower agricultural production. 4. High rainfall of 2 200 mm unfortunately does not mean plentiful water because >80 percent of rain occurs within only < 80 days. In the absence of proper water-harvesting structures this rainfall causes flooding.

Zone 12: Persons engaged in agriculture 60000

50000

40000

30000 Numbers Bargadars 20000 Small farmers Marginal farmers

10000

Blocks

Figure 79 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 12

ZONE – 13 NORTH AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Zone 13 is North and South 24 Parganas and defines the Sunderban region.

Districts under Zone 13 Blocks falling under Zone 13 Hingalganj NORTH 24 PARGANAS Sandeshkhali I

Sandeshkhali II Basanti Canning I Gosaba SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Kultali

Mathurapur II Namkhana Patharpratima

Zone 13: Persons engaged in agriculture 35000 30000

25000 20000 15000

Numbers 10000 Bargadars 5000 Small farmers 0 Marginal farmers

Blocks

Figure 80 – Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 13

The zone is complex, stretching from the metropolitan area of Kolkata to remote riverine villages, up to the mouth of the Bay of Bengal. The rural area suffers from a lack of transport and communication facilities and weak delivery systems. Here, 84 percent of the population lives in rural areas, where development is taken care of by the Panchayat bodies. The scheduled caste comprises 39 percent of the total population and BPL families are 37.21 percent of the population.

The zone is part of the saline Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forests on earth, covering ten development blocks in the district. Because of its peculiar geographical location, the means of transport and communication in this region are not well developed. Lack of irrigation means agriculture is based on monocropping. Breaches in earthen embankments and cyclonic storms cause loss of life and destruction of crops and property on a regular basis. Any development strategy in this ecologically fragile environment must be carefully designed and implemented.

64 Apart from marine fishing, the principal traditional occupation in the entire coastal zone of the State is agriculture. In Zone 13 other occupations are fishing, honey collection and wood cutting; although agriculture is the major occupation. Because of the hostile geo-physical conditions, the area is inaccessible, communication is impeded and agricultural productivity is low. Land masses are constantly changing and together with the prevailing climatic condition, the entire coastal area of Zone 13 is characterized by severe underdevelopment.

Physico-chemical variables The coastal zone of West Bengal experiences a moderate type of climate because of its location at the apex of the Bay of Bengal as well as because of the regular tidal flushing of the estuaries. Wave action, micro and macrotidal cycle, long shore currents are recorded in most of the islands of the ecosystem. Coastal processes are dynamic, accelerated by tropical cyclones that are locally called Kal Baisakhi (Nor’Wester). Field investigations show that the coastline is changing in the reclaimed areas as a result of abnormal cliff erosion. The seasonal climate in coastal West Bengal may be conveniently categorized as pre-monsoon (March- June), monsoon (July-October) and post-monsoon (November- February). Each season has a characteristic feature that is distinctly unique. The oscillations of various physical variables in different seasons of the year are discussed below.

Waves and tides Sea waves in this region rarely become destructive except during cyclonic storms. During Nor’westers, the wind speed rises above 100 km/hour and is usually accompanied by huge tidal waves. When the cyclonic incidences coincide with the spring-tides, wave height can rise over 5 m above the mean sea level

Salinity Salinity is an important parameter governing many biological and chemical processes in the coastal zone of West Bengal. This parameter exhibits unique seasonal variation; the highest value occurs during pre- monsoon (March-June), is minimum during the monsoon (July-September) and intermediate during post- monsoon (November-February). A drastic variation of salinity is also observed in different transects of the estuary at the same time (Mitra, 2000).

Rainfall During June to September 70–80 percent of total precipitation takes place, whereas throughout the rest of the year, minimum rainfall is distributed across October to April. Chief characteristics of the zone are: 1. This zone is mainly represents the delta region with lots of streams passing through to the Bay of Bengal. 2. Regular riverbank failure is a common feature; failing at a frequency of every 5-6 years, causing great damage to the local economy. Particularly vulnerable to riverbank failures are the blocks Gosaba, Sandesh Khali and Namkhana; saline seawater enters villages easily and thousands of hectares of agricultural land are lost each year. 3. Agriculture and fisheries are popular livelihood activities, mostly fall into the smallholder categories. 4. The water level in the zone is very high, as well as the percentage of salinity, which is not good for agricultural activities. Fresh water, can be found as deep as 700 feet. The zone has no irrigation facilities resulting in a low return on agriculture. Long distance migration in search of work is the only coping mechanism. 5. The land-use composition (Figure 86) of the coastal region reveals that most land in the coastal area is under agriculture, followed by residual and homestead land. There is neglibible use of land for orchards and pastureland in the coastal region is almost non-existent. Reclamation of

65 agricultural land for aquaculture, which reached its peak beginning in the late 1980s up to 1995 has apparently reached a plateau after imposition of a ban on semi-intensive prawn farming in 1996. Kharif paddy accounts for 74.68 percent of the total cultivable land, whereas 8.4 percent is covered by boro paddy. The area, which is a monocropping area, severely suffers from waterlogging in the kharif and higher saline concentration and non-availability of sweet water in other seasons. The water stagnation profile of a typical village is shown by resource-mapping on revenue sheets.

Figure 81 – Resoruce map of a village in coastal West Bengal

AWM INVESTMENT POTENTIAL The two-day workshop explored the three priority zones (Figure 41); based on all the criteria considered by the participants; Zone 8 (District Purulia, Bankura, and West Midnapur) was placed in first position in terms of intervention, followed by Zones 2 and 12.

Priority zones

66 Zones' prioritization for AWM intervention

Zone 1 Zone 13: 20 Zone 2 and 2a 15 Zone 12: Zone 3 10 5 Zone 11: Zone 4: 0 Votes scored Zone 10: Zone 5:

Zone 9: Zone 6: Zone 8: Zone 7 and 7a:

Figure 82 – Voting was done in order to prioritize zones for AWM interventions

Solutions as an AWM intervention

Table 27 – Different solutions and their relevance19 explored during the workshop in different zones.

Zones 1 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13

Watershed development 1 1 3 1

Water harvest 3 3 3 1 3 1 3 3 3 3

Water and soil conservation 3 2 3 3 3 2

Electrification 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 2 1

Financing 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 1

Drip irrigation 1 1 3 1 3 2 1 1 1

Small scale lift irrigation 3 2 1 1 1 3 3 1

Solar 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Capacity building 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Participants were asked to rank all solutions as high, moderate and low. This exercise identified zones that were not selected by the participants and seemed relevant from the viewpoint of intervention. Participants were responsible for outlining criteria and prioritizing the zones (see workshop report for more details). In a further analysis, solutions explored by the paticipants, along with comments on their relevance as a favored AWM intervention method are discussed.

19 Relevance indicators; 3 = High, 2 = Medium and, 1 = Low 67 Watershed development Watershed development

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1

Relevance in each in Relevance zone 0.5 0 1 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13 Watershed development 1 1 3 1

Figure 83 – Solution in the zones and its relevance

Table 28 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with Watershed development

Relavance for watershed SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED intervention 1 6 Birbhum, Bardhmann Low Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, 2 7 Low Haora, East Midnapur 3 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann High East Midnapur, South 24 4 12 Low Parganas

Comments 1. Zone 7a shows highest relevance for interventions with watershed development as per participants’ opinion during the workshop. 2. Figure 43 shows the rainfall trend (from 2003–2007) in the zones; Zone 7a (Birbhum and Bardhmann) is in accordance with the participants’ opinion as the increase in rainfall over the years is more or less stagnant. 3. Figure 44 shows the groundwater situation (2007 data). There is a difference between projected amount of groundwater, need and water availability. 4. T he solution suggested for Zone 7a appears to be appropriate.

Rainfall trend in Zones 6, 7, 7a, and 12 2500

2000

1500 Year 2003 Year 2004 Year 2005

Rainfall in mm 1000 Year 2006 Year 2007 Normal 2007

500

0 Bardhaman Birbhum Nadia Hoogly Howrah East West Bankura North 24 south 24 Midnapur Midnapur Parganas Parganas Districts

Figure 84 – Rainfall pattern in different districts

Groundwater Situation in Zone 6, 7, 7a, and 12 700000

600000

500000 projected demand 25 yrs for domestic and industry 400000 use 300000 Existing draft from all uses

200000 Net Annual availability 100000 Districts 0

Figure 85 – Groundwater situation in Zone 6, 7, 7a, and 12

Figures 84 and 84 show that where there is presence of good rain, net annual availability of groundwater is good and vice versa. This information is important from the viewpoint of agriculture. AWM interventions would be applicable where there is low rain availability along with low groundwater table. This suggests that Birbhum, Nadia, Howrah, Bankura and South 24 Parganas are more important than the priority zones (Figure 41). These districts are also highly populated zones and very much urbanized so any AWM intervention would need to address other relevant issues.

70 Water harvest

Water Harvest

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Relevance in each in Relevance area Zone 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 Water Harvest 3 3 3 1 3 1 3 3 3 3

Figure 86 – Water harvest and its relevance in each area

Table 29 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with water harvest

SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED Relavance for Water Harvest 1 2 Jalpaiguri High Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin 2 3 High Dinajpur and Maldah 3 5 Maldah, Murshidabad High 4 6 Birbhum, Bardhmann Low Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East Midnapur, West 5 7 High Midnapur, Bankura, North 24 Parganas 6 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann Low Purulia, Bankura, West 7 8 High Midnapur 8 9 Purulia High 9 11 South 24 Parganas High East Midnapur, South 24 10 12 High Parganas

Comments: 1. Only Zone 6 and 7a (Birbhum and Bardhmann) show less relevance for water harvesting during the rainy season. Partly because the information does not match the findings of the previous solution, i.e. watershed development at the block level. Only eastern Birbhum and western Bardhmann fall into Zone 7a, which is why results seem different. 2. Water harvesting is needed for small-scale and marginal farmers most affected during the Boro season (from December to March). Figures 7 and 8 can help explain why Birbhum and Bardhmann show less relevance in terms of intervention for water harvesting.

Area Vs. Production 1000000 800000 600000 400000 200000 Production (tonnes) Boro rice 0 Area (ha) Boro rice

Figure 87 – Area available for production of Boro rice in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest

Yield (kg/ha) Boro rice 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Yield (kg/ha) Boro rice

Figure 88 – Yield in kg/ha of Boro rice in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest

Rainfall trend (Year 2007) 4000

3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 Rainfall in mm Rainfall 500 0

Figure 89 – Rainfall trend in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest

3. The rainfall pattern does not support participants’ assumption that Birbhum and Bardhmann should be skipped in terms of interventions for water-harvesting structures.

73 Water and soil conservation

Water and soil conservation 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5

Relevance in each in Relevance zone 0 Zone 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 Water and soil conservation 3 2 3 3 3 2 Figure 90 – Water and soil conservation and its relevance in each zone

Table 30 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with water and soil conservation

SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED Relavance for Water Harvest 1 1 Darjeeling High Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East Midnapur, West 2 7 Medium Midnapur, Bankura, North 24 Parganas 3 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann High Purulia, Bankura, West 4 8 High Midnapur 5 9 Purulia High East Midnapur, South 24 6 12 Medium Parganas

Comments: 1. All zones show a great need for water and soil conservation; Figure 11 illustrates this issue. Rainfall trends, except for Darjiling, are more or less similar in all zones. It is of interest to note the amount of water that could be used for irrigation (Figure 12). 2. The solution suggested by the participants appears to be realistic.

Rainfall trend 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000

Rainfall in mm Rainfall 500 0

Figure 91 – Rainfall trend in zones relevant for interventin with water and soil conservation

Trend irrigation (ha) 2007 450000 400000

350000 300000 250000 200000 150000 Area in ha in Area 100000 50000 0

Figure 92 – Trend in irrigation in zones relevant for intervention with water and soil conservation

Electrification Electrification

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1

0.5 Relevance in each in Relevance zone 0 Zone 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 Electrification 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 2 1

Figure 93 – Electrification and its relevance in each zone

Table 31 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with electrification

SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED Relavance for Water Harvest 1 2 Jalpaiguri Low 2 2a Kooch Bihar High Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin Dinajpur and 3 3 Low Maldah 4 6 Birbhum, Bardhmann Low Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East 5 7 Midnapur, West Midnapur, Bankura, Low North 24 Parganas 6 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann Low 7 8 Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapur High 8 9 Purulia Medium 9 12 East Midnapur, South 24 Parganas Low

Comments: 1. Electrcity is required for irrigation. Only 2a (Kooch Bihar) and Zone 8 (Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapur) show high relevance for the intervention with electricity. 2. Figure 14 confirms the need for electricity in the concerned zones as the RLIs (River Lift Irrigation schemes are not functioning well.

River Lift Irrigation Schemes by WRDD 250

200

150 NOS.OF RUNNING SCHEMES Diesel NOS.OF RUNNING SCHEMES Electric 100 NOS.OF PERMANENTLY DEFUNCT Diesel NOS.OF PERMANENTLY DEFUNCT Electric NOS.OF TEMPORARILY BREAK DOWN Diesel 50 NOS.OF TEMPORARILY BREAK DOWN Electric

Figure 94 – River Lift Irrigation schemes owned and run by WRDD

Financing

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Zone

Relevance in each in Relevance zone 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 Financing 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 1

Figure 95 – Financing and its relevance in each zone

Table 32 – Zones showing relevance of intervention with financing

SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED Relavance for Water Harvest 1 2 Jalpaiguri Low 2 3 Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin Dinajpur and Low Maldah 3 6 Birbhum, Bardhmann Low 4 7 Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East Low Midnapur, West Midnapur, Bankura, North 24 Parganas 5 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann Low 6 8 Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapur High 7 9 Purulia High 8 12 East Midnapur, South 24 Parganas Low

Drip irrigation

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0

Relevance in each in Relevance zone Zone 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 Drip irrigation 1 1 3 1 3 2 1 1 1

Figure 96 – Drip irrigation and its relevance in each zone

Table 33 –Zones showing relevance for intervention with drip irrigation

SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED Relavance for Water Harvest 1 2 Jalpaiguri Low 2 3 Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin Dinajpur and Low Maldah 3 4 Maldah High 4 6 Birbhum, Bardhmann Low 5 7 Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East High Midnapur, West Midnapur, Bankura, North 24 Parganas 6 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann Medium 7 8 Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapur Low 8 9 Purulia Low 9 12 East Midnapur, South 24 Parganas Low

79 Small-scale lift irrigation

Small scale lift irrigation

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Zon 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13

Relevance in each in Relevance zone e 1 Small scale lift irrigation 3 2 1 1 1 3 3 1

Figure 97 – Small-scale lift irrigation and its relevance in each zone

Table 34 – Zones showing relevance for intervention with small-scale lift irrigation

SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED Relavance for Water Harvest 1 2 Jalpaiguri High 2 3 Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin Dinajpur and Medium Maldah 3 6 Birbhum, Bardhmann Low 4 7 Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East Low Midnapur, West Midnapur, Bankura, North 24 Parganas 5 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann Low 6 8 Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapur High 7 9 Purulia High 8 12 East Midnapur, South 24 Parganas Low

80 Solar

Solar

1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 Zone

Relevance in each in Relevance zone 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 Solar 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Figure 98 – Solar and its relevance in each zone

Table 35 – Zones showing their relevance for solar intervention

SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED Relavance for Water Harvest 1 2 Jalpaiguri Low 2 3 Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin Dinajpur and Low Maldah 3 6 Birbhum, Bardhmann Low 4 7 Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East Low Midnapur, West Midnapur, Bankura, North 24 Parganas 5 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann Low 6 8 Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapur Low 7 9 Purulia Low 8 12 East Midnapur, South 24 Parganas Low

81 Capacity building Capacity building

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Zone Relevance in each in Relevance zone 2 2a 3 4 5 6 7 7a 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 Capacity building 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Figure 99 – Capacity building and its relevance in each zone

Table 36 – Zone showing their relevance for intervention with capacity building

SN ZONES DISTRICTS COVERED Relavance for Water Harvest 1 2 Jalpaiguri High 2 2a Kooch Bihar High Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin Dinajpur and 3 3 High Maldah 4 4 Maldah High 5 5 Maldah, Murshidabad High 6 6 Birbhum, Bardhmann Low Bardhmann, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East 7 7 Midnapur, West Midnapur, Bankura, High North 24 Parganas 8 7a Birbhum, Bardhmann High 9 8 Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapur High 10 9 Purulia High Kolkata, Nadia, Haora, North and 11 10 High South 24 Parganas 12 11 South 24 Parganas High 13 12 East Midnapur, South 24 Parganas High 14 13 South 24 Parganas High

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ANNEXES

Annex 1 – Production details of different crops (‘000 tonnes) in different districts (2006-2007) SN District Rice Aus Aman Boro Wheat Maize Total Total Oil Jute Total Pulses seeds Miscellaneous crops

1 Darjiling 58.7 8.9 46.6 3.2 3.2 30.8 1.2 8.1 31.4 205.9 2 Jalpaiguri 419.0 54.0 322.0 43.0 33.1 23.1 2.1 7.8 446.7 734.3 3 Coachbihar 445.8 11.0 351.4 83.4 25.2 35.2 4.9 12.0 762.0 304.5 4 Uttardinajpur 589.7 3.3 322.5 263.9 86.3 60.2 2.7 20.7 650.0 116.0 5 Dakshin dinajpur 446.4 18.2 294.4 133.8 21.9 4.1 0.3 13.5 204.6 44.8 6 Murshidabad 1030.6 62.2 492.8 475.6 270.3 34.4 36.1 86.2 1972.0 454.8 7 Maldah 470.6 10.0 201.9 258.7 111.1 29.5 22.5 40.7 341.3 292.1 8 Bardhaman 1967.0 43.7 1201.3 722.0 5.8 0.8 1.4 46.7 229.6 1076.7 9 Purulia 731.4 3.0 725.1 3.3 3.7 19.3 6.2 4.7 29.3 10 Bankura 1138.0 53.2 945.6 139.2 12.8 2.1 0.2 26.5 0.6 459.3 11 Birbhum 1199.4 15.8 960.3 223.3 83.8 0.4 16.0 38.7 6.3 245.4 12 West Midnapur 1798.8 81.3 1281.1 436.4 15.3 1.8 3.4 99.5 70.8 1056.7 13 East Midnapur 1045.3 33.6 540.4 471.3 1.2 13.0 36.7 26.5 66.0 14 Nadia 677.7 93.4 232.2 352.1 102.6 10.4 28.3 102.6 1887.0 204.0 15 Hoogly 846.8 18.1 529.9 298.8 2.7 0.7 1.2 39.9 585.8 1069.0 16 Howrah 243.6 1.3 131.6 110.7 0.7 0.1 0.6 9.3 70.2 79.3 17 south 24 Parganas 911.1 18.2 662.9 230.0 3.3 0.5 6.5 15.2 7.8 68.2 18 North 24 Parganas 726.0 46.3 407.8 271.9 16.9 7.8 44.6 1118.8 150.1

85 Annex 2 – Productivity details of different crops (kg/ha) in different districts (2006-2007) SN District Rice Aus Aman Boro Wheat Maize Total Total Oil Jute Total Pulses seeds Miscellaneous crops

1 Darjiling 1866 2040 1824 2071 1428 2116 609 564 12.7 4254 2 Jalpaiguri 1824 1311 1892 2347 2055 1982 505 565 10.6 3 Coachbihar 1862 886 1784 2775 1956 5966 551 533 10.4 7016 4 Uttardinajpur 2301 1323 1960 2957 2448 5018 571 547 12.2 9063 5 Dakshin dinajpur 2412 1748 2224 3163 2476 2671 402 557 11.6 7724 6 Murshidabad 2609 1908 2189 3464 2154 4615 693 934 14.6 22185 7 Maldah 3051 1497 2525 3825 2591 2157 861 1009 14.7 38947 8 Bardhaman 3060 3232 2864 3442 2278 2555 396 827 16.6 16590 9 Purulia 2607 1501 2615 2484 2047 1687 437 519 10464 10 Bankura 2797 2618 2813 2760 2151 2710 551 627 17.8 12281 11 Birbhum 3128 2591 3070 3462 2643 1619 773 1011 17.8 12916 12 West Midnapur 2598 1961 2497 3165 2143 2284 577 1031 13.7 11833 13 East Midnapur 2429 2197 2021 3195 2323 1205 1733 17.8 7021 14 Nadia 2707 2255 2154 3483 2188 2326 724 958 14.5 15573 15 Hoogly 2830 2547 2706 3104 2149 2607 701 1132 18.5 10930 16 Howrah 2084 1506 1716 2816 1551 1151 548 1380 18.5 8620 17 South 24 2195 2271 2009 2988 2051 2084 641 1251 12.4 11965 Parganas 18 North 24 2611 2612 2390 3031 2397 576 949 18.5 14160 Parganas

86 Annex 3 – Livelihood zones attribute table – general characteristics Average landholding size (a: Main sources of living (type of Main crops Farmers typology landless, b: marginal, c: small, d: LZ Main climate production, income typology, big) etc.) rainfed irrigated a b c d a b c d

Orchard (Fruits), Tea Gardens, Spices, Squash, 1 Cold himid Tourism, Agriculture, Animal 20 60 10 10 10 15 50 25 Abagado, Potato Husbandry

Tea Garden, Agriculture and 2 Warm himid Paddy, Tea, Jute Wheat, Boro Paddy, Potato 10 20 50 20 10 30 30 30 Animal Husbandry

Tea Garden, Agriculture and 3 Warm himid Paddy, Tea, Jute Wheat, Boro Paddy, Potato 10 20 50 20 10 30 30 30 Animal Husbandry

4 High Rainfall Plantation (Tea), Pineapple √ x 10 10 70 10 10 10 70 10

Agriculture (Paddy, Jute, 5 High Rainfall √ Partly 10 40 40 10 10 10 70 10 Wheat)

6 High Rainfall Horticulture, sericulture √ Partly 10 10 70 10 10 40 40 10

Hot and humid - erratic rainfall (1400 mm is 7 Industrial and mining labour Paddy, home garden Home garden 1 50 40 10 average), and temp is 10 - 45 degree celcius

87 Aman Rice, Pulses (Red Sub tropical Humid Zone. Agriculture, Cottage industry Aus, Aman and Boro Rice, gram, Lentil, Khesari), Rainfall (1400 - 1600 mm) (Small scale), Fishery, Poultry, Wheat, Pulses and 8 Oilseeds, Linseed, 30 60 10 0 5 15 70 10 and Temp (18-31 degree Livestock and Medium scale Oilseeds, Vegetables, Vegetables, Flower, celcius) Industry Flower, Fruits, Tuber crops Jute

Aman Rice, Pulses (Red Sub tropical Humid Zone. Agriculture, Cottage industry Aus, Aman and Boro Rice, gram, Lentil, Khesari), Rainfall (1400 - 1600 mm) (Small scale), Fishery, Poultry, Wheat, Pulses and 9 Oilseeds, Linseed, 25 60 10 5 5 15 70 10 and Temp (18-31 degree Livestock and Medium scale Oilseeds, Vegetables, Vegetables, Flower, celcius) Industry Flower, Fruits, Tuber crops Jute

Hot and humid - erratic Rainfed agriculture, Wage rainfall (1400 mm is Paddy, pulses, oil seed 10 % area is only irrigated, 10 earning through NREGS and 1 50 40 9 50 30 20 0 average), and temp is 10 - and tomato vegetables seasonal migration 45 degree celcius

Hot and humid - erratic Collection and marketing of rainfall (1400 mm is Paddy, pulses, oil seed 11 NTFP as fuelwood, Rainfed nil 0 30 60 10 60 35 5 0 average), and temp is 10 - and tomato agriculture and livestock 45 degree celcius

Hot Humid Cultivation (Mixed Paddy Paddy-oil Cropping),Sole cropping& seeds/Veg/pulses/floricultu 12 Shared Cropping& AH& Fish re 10 10 70 10 10 10 70 10 culture

88 Do Cultivation (Mixed Paddy Paddy-Veg&orchard Cropping),Sole cropping&Orchard, AH& Fish culture 13 10 70 10 10 10 10 40 40

Do Cultivation ,Sole cropping,AH& Paddy Paddy/ Bundh Hort Fish culture

14 10 70 10 10 10 10 40 40

Do Cultivation (Sole cropping),AH& Homestead Agri Homestead Agri Fish capture

15 70 10 10 10 10 10 10 70

Annex 4 – Livelihood zones attribute table – socioeconomic aspects Market access (high, Incidence Participation of moderate, limited) of rural women in the Rural pop density Main constraints for poverty agriculture LZ (high, medium, Migration issues Other aspects Notes livelihoods (high, (dominant, Inputs Outputs low) moderate, equal and limited) marginal)

Roads, Governance, 1 Limited Limited Low Limited Limited dominant Human Traficking Erosion, Irrigation

Flow of capital, Local Human Traficking 2 High Moderate Medium High Medium Equal governance and No man's land

89 Flow of capital, Local Human Traficking 3 High Moderate Medium High Medium Equal governance and No man's land

Improment of 1. Lack of irrigation facility irrigation 4 2. Industry 3. Inadequate Moderate Moderate Medium high Less Marginal facilities employment required Processing lack of irrigation, flood Marginal inductry is less 5 prone, surface runoff, land Limited Limited High high High (Invlovement and they are erosion, market in biri Industry) required Processing industry, Less technical know how, 6 Moderate Moderate High high High Marginal technical flood prone knowhow is lacking

Agriculture is not the main Diversification Medium, Inward migration is Politics and Social 7 source of livelihood. Illegal NA NA Moderate Marginal in Agro land 1200/sqkm high. problems mining Industry

To improve Limited communicatio Limited Climate change fertilizer, Inward migration is n and Assured irrigation, market Medium in effects on manures, high in Nadia and transport at Adequate storage facility network in Birbhum (1000/sq agriculture. seed/breed Bardhwan. Outward market. To 8 and management work, agriculture km), Burdhawan, Moderate Dominant Communication in migration is high in improve minor Livestock - quality animals and Hoogli and Nadia network. Non agriculture Birbhum and moderate irrigation and market networks cottage (1200/sqkm) remunerative price and in Hoogli. resources. industry of the product. livestock Accessibility to input markets

90 To improve Limited communicatio Limited Climate change fertilizer, n and Assured irrigation, market Medium in Inward migration is effects on manures, transport at Adequate storage facility network in Birbhum (1000/sq high in Nadia, agriculture. seed/breed market. To 9 and management work, agriculture km), Burdhawan, Moderate Bardhwan and Hoogli. Dominant Communication in improve minor Livestock - quality animals and Hoogli and Nadia Outward migration is network. Non agriculture irrigation and market networks cottage (1200/sqkm) high in Birbhum. remunerative price and resources. industry of the product. livestock Accessibility to input markets

Water scarcity due to low irrigation coverage. Lack of Seasonal agriculture 10 improved agricultural limited Limited Medium High labour to nearby Equal practices, land erosion and districts depletion of forests.

Limited livelihood options, low irrigation coverage, Seasonal agriculture depleting forest cover, 11 limited Limited Low High labour to nearby Equal plotical problem (Maoist districts insugency), Problems created by elephants

Non avalailability of Agril. M M H L/M Seasonal,Outward M Prawn seed Natural lack of infrastucture collection, Calamities( 12 facilities Cyclone, inclu.marketing,inadequate storm,draught technical know how ) Non avalailability of Agril. M M H M-H Seasonal,Outward M Apiculture,Fuelwood Natural Inputs/insufficient quality collection,Prawn Calamities( irrigation water,non seed collection, Cyclone, existance of infrastucture Domestic help in city storm,draught 13 facilities ) inclu.marketing,absence technical know how,illiteracy

91 Non avalailability of Agril. L M M M-H Seasonal,Outward,Daily M Apiculture,Fuelwood Natural Inputs/quality irrigation collection,Prawn Calamities( water,lack of infrastucture seed collection, Cyclone, 14 facilities Domestic help in city storm,draught inclu.marketing,absence ) technical know how,illiteracy

Non avalailability of Agril. L L L H Outward,Daily M Apiculture,Fuelwood Natural Inputs/quality irrigation collection,Prawn Calamities ( water,non existance of seed collection, Cyclone, infrastucture facilities storm,draught 15 inclu.marketing,absence ),Lack of technical know instititional how,illiteracy facilities

Annex 5 – Livelihood zones attribute table – water-related aspects 1 Frequence to what extent Seasonality of droughts AWM can be the Local conflicts main water use Frequence of Main water-related (number of and dry entry point to (competing LZ Main water source (farming, livestock, floods (high, constraints growing spells (high, improve uses on water domestic, etc.) medium, low) seasons) medium, livelihoods (high, management) low) medium, low)

Domestic and 1 Rain, Springs uneven distribution of rainfall 1 Nil Nil High Low Agriculture

Rain, Irrigation Domestic and uneven distribution of 2 (Surface and Ground Agriculture, Electricity rainfall, lack of water from two to three Once in five Once in two years High Medium water) generation the command years there is no command in Coch Domestic and Once in five 3 do Bihar, Lack of water for two to three Once in two years High medim Agriculture years irrigation purpose Rivers (Ganga, Atrai, Up to water Low Medium Scarcity of water in lean 4 Punarbhava, Farming, domestic availability, (Started for High Medium (conflict in season, Water lifting devices Mahananda, Tangan) June to last three winter crop)

92 December and years) then decreasing

Problems in 5 Rivers, Tubewells Farming, domestic Scarcity during dry season Low High (Every year) Medium Low April to June

Four season in 6 do Farming Absence of water one year Low Nil Medium Low (Sericulture)

Natural rainfall, Ground water (Dug Draw down effect of ground Chronic Exist between Farming, Livestock and More than 10 - 12 7 well), Less water and heavy metal Kharif (winter) drought high upstream and Domestic years availability of surface contamination prone area downstream water

Major and minor Gradual decline in surface Pre Kharif Farming, Livestock, irrigation, surface, sources. Ground water is (Autumn), Exist sectorial 8 domestic and other 3 - 5 years 8 - 10 years High groundwater, going down and heavy metal Kharif (Winter), group commercial purposes natural rainfall contamination Rabi (Summer)

Major and minor Gradual decline in surface Pre Kharif Farming, Livestock, irrigation, surface, sources. Ground water is (Autumn), Exist sectorial 9 domestic and other 3 - 5 years 8 - 10 years High groundwater, going down and heavy metal Kharif (Winter), group commercial purposes natural rainfall contamination Rabi (Summer)

93 Only 10 % under both Rain stream, Dug Agriculture vs drinking under irrigation & well, Checkdam, domestic, 10 Farming and domestic agriculture well dry up in One high Low high Pond, tank, Agriculture vs. sunmmer, Run off takes away Tubewell, river lift Fishery the top soil

Rain, Seasonal Agriculture vs stream, Dug Most sources dry up in Largely domestic, 11 Farming and domestic high Low High well/tube well, summer monocropped Agriculture vs. Ponds Fishery

Surface+Ground Farming,Domestic 3 seasons nil low Nil

12 Prsence of Toxic Chemicals incu. Heavy metal low Surface+Ground Farming,Domestic 2 seasons medium medium Nil

Salinityin drainage& irrigation canals, High Surface+Ground Farming,Domestic& single season low High Yes** Fisheries

Salinityin drainage& irrigation canals, medium

94 Farming,Domestic single season low High medium Yes**

Surface(harvested 15 rain water)+ground Water

Salinityin drainage& irrigation canals,

Annex 6 – Livelihood zones attribute table – water-related aspects 2 level surface level Physical Water quality reuse of water surface water groundwater water groundwater availability of problems for Ethnicity for agriculture LZ availability (high, availability (high, exploitation exploitation water for AWM agriculture implications for Notes (high, medium, medium, low) medium, low) (high, medium, (high, medium, (high, medium, (salinity, AWM low) low) low) low) sodicity, etc.)

Majority belongs to Nepali 1 High Low High Low high Med - high Nil Low community

Nepali+bihari+Oria and South Iron and 2 Medium High Medium High high Low - med High Indian so there is a mixed Acidity community Minority people are also Iron and 3 Medium high Medium High high Low - med Medium there. Some people migrated Acidity from the Banglasedh. Partial (due to 4 Medium high Medium High high Limited scope Iron and NO Arsenic) Partial (due to 5 medium high Medium High high Limited scope Iron and NO Arsenic) Partial (due to 6 Medium high Medium High high Limited scope Iron and NO Arsenic)

95 To implement the water Yes (Among the 7 Low Low High high Low Low Arsenic harvesting, Judicial use of sectoral people) available water.

Ethnicity To improve the livelihoods Arsenic, implication 8 Limited (Low) Medium High High Medium High possibility erradication of three Fluoride problems are mentioned problems. existing

Ethnicity To improve the livelihoods Arsenic, implication 9 Limited (Low) Medium High High Medium High possibility erradication of three Fluoride problems are mentioned problems. existing

Low Water use efficiency in High (Rainfall is canal system, Checkdam, river high but lift (water use deficiency is 10 Moderate Low Moderate Low Low No No harvesting is better), There is a constraint low) to get better land for large tanks

Opportunity to harvest rainfall Rainfall (1400 in small ponds and along 11 Low Low Low Low mm) major Low No No draingae lines. Huge scope for source for AWM land developement to resuce water losses.

96 High NA Prsence of Toxic Adaption of water saving 12 Chemicals technologies,Roof top High(sweage incu. Heavy harvesting, Detoxication Medium High low High water) metal ofsewage water Medium NA

13 Salinityin drainage& Adaption of water saving irrigation technologies, Rain High High low Medium Low canals, waterharvesting High NA

Adaption of water saving 14 Salinity in technologies, Rain drainage& waterharvesting ,drip irrigation irrigation with low saline High High low Low Low canals, water Low NA

Adaption of water saving 15 High Low Low technologies, Rain Salinityin waterharvesting ,drip drainage& irrigation with low saline irrigation water,Formation of water High low canals, users association