[Dec 2007, Volume 4 Quarterly Issue] Pdf File size - The IIPM Think ...
[Dec 2007, Volume 4 Quarterly Issue] Pdf File size - The IIPM Think ...
[Dec 2007, Volume 4 Quarterly Issue] Pdf File size - The IIPM Think ...
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MORE MARKETS, LESS GOVERNMENT<br />
Table 1: Region-wise Potential And Development Of Surface Water<br />
In Gujarat<br />
Details<br />
South<br />
Gujarat<br />
North<br />
Gujarat<br />
Saurashtra Kachchh Total<br />
the state during 1984, 1991, and 1997 is<br />
evident in figure 1. Figure 1 shows that the<br />
potential has declined from 20 thousand<br />
mcm per year in 1984 to 16 thousand mcm<br />
Regional Details<br />
per year in 1997, implying about 21 percent<br />
No. Of Districts 7 5 6 1 19<br />
decline. Though there has been a small<br />
increase during 1991-97 (11.16 percent increase)<br />
due to the consecutive good sea-<br />
Area sq. kms 47557 38478 64337 45612 195984<br />
% Area Of State (24%) (20%) (33%) (23%) (100%)<br />
sons, the potential is still much less than<br />
No. Of Rivers 11 6 71 97 185<br />
the same in 1984. <strong>The</strong> same trend is observed<br />
among the districts also; also the<br />
Surface Water Potential<br />
Available Mm3 17510 7940 4550 2430 32430<br />
districts show a decline in the time period<br />
(%) (54%) (25%) (14%) (7%) (100%)<br />
1984-97 (except Amreli, which shows marginal<br />
Utilisable Mm3 13900 2000 1500 400 17800<br />
increase) (Please do refer Figure-2).<br />
(%) (78%) (12%) (8%) (2%) (100%) All except four districts show some increase<br />
Source: NWRD, 1991<br />
in the potential during 1991-97,<br />
jarat, there are 17 rivers and most of them<br />
are perennial. Irrigation increases productivity,<br />
stability and sustainability (Vaidyanathan<br />
(1999); Dhawan (1995). <strong>The</strong> foremost<br />
issue is the availability of irrigation<br />
potential, its creation and utilization. Ultimate<br />
Irrigation Potential (UIP) corresponds<br />
to the gross area that could theoretically<br />
be irrigated in a year on the basis<br />
of the assumed cropping pattern and the<br />
given probability of rainfall. Pushing the<br />
irrigation potential to the ultimate level<br />
resources in the state. This along with second<br />
committee on Estimation of Groundwater<br />
Resources and Irrigation Potential<br />
in 1991 and the third Committee in 1997<br />
throws light on the changing status of<br />
groundwater in the state.<br />
About 90 percent of the groundwater is<br />
used for irrigation in agriculture. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
are two types of groundwater schemes:<br />
government tubewells and private tubewells.<br />
<strong>The</strong> total groundwater potential in<br />
thanks to good rainfall (GoG 1999).<br />
Government of Gujarat (1999) in their<br />
study showed the ranges of increase and<br />
decline in groundwater potential across<br />
the different talukas of districts in the<br />
state. <strong>The</strong>y stated that talukas that experienced<br />
the highest declines in groundwater<br />
potential are from North Gujarat<br />
as well as Saurashtra and Kachchh<br />
regions.<br />
Utilisable groundwater resource is equal<br />
to the total groundwater resources<br />
available may be unsustainable in some<br />
cases. Gujarat has utilized its created potential<br />
with almost full utilization (Table-<br />
Table 2: Ultimate Irrigation Potential and<br />
Utilisation (‘000 ha)<br />
minus the provision<br />
for domestic, industrial and<br />
other uses (15 percent of the<br />
2). In as much as most of the available<br />
water resources have been almost fully<br />
exploited, special attention needs to be<br />
paid to management and maximization of<br />
utilization of the available resources.<br />
Details<br />
Utilised Irrigation Potential<br />
Potential created (97-98)<br />
Potential utilised (97-98)<br />
% of potential created to<br />
utilised irrigation potential<br />
Gujarat<br />
6103<br />
3379<br />
3097<br />
55.37<br />
India<br />
139893<br />
92742<br />
82740<br />
66.29<br />
total resources). As seen from<br />
Figure-3, that the total utilisable<br />
groundwater resources<br />
for the state is also declining.<br />
<strong>The</strong> total utilisable water resources<br />
in fact follow a similar<br />
b. Groundwater Resources<br />
Government of Gujarat has started estimating<br />
groundwater resources systematically<br />
since 1984 when the first technical<br />
group was set up to estimate the resources<br />
% of potential utilised to<br />
potential created<br />
Potential used to Utilised<br />
irrigation potential<br />
Gross irrigated area (98-99)<br />
91.65<br />
50.75<br />
3379<br />
89.19<br />
59.13<br />
73007<br />
trend as that of total water resources.<br />
Government of Gujarat<br />
(1999) shows that 76 percent<br />
of the total talukas in the<br />
state register a decrease in utilisable<br />
as well as the irrigation potential of the Source: Department of Agriculture, Government of Gujarat<br />
groundwater resources<br />
THE INDIA ECONOMY REVIEW<br />
95