Report of the Expert Group on Agricultural Indebtedness
Report of the Expert Group on Agricultural Indebtedness
Report of the Expert Group on Agricultural Indebtedness
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<str<strong>on</strong>g>Expert</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Group</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Agricultural</strong> <strong>Indebtedness</strong>Table 1.4Changes in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Size Distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Operati<strong>on</strong>al Holdings and Operated Area :1960-61 to 2002 -03Category <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Holdings Percentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Operati<strong>on</strong>al Holdings Percentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Operated Area1960-61 1970-71 1981-82 1991-92 2003 1960-61 1970-71 1981-82 1991-92 2003(17 th ) (26 th ) (37 th ) (48 th ) (59 th ) (17 th ) (26 th ) (37 th ) (48 th ) (59 th )Marginal 39.1 45.8 56.0 62.8 71.0 6.9 9.2 11.5 15.6 22.6Small 22.6 22.4 19.3 17.8 16.6 12.3 14.8 16.6 18.7 20.9Semi-Medium 19.8 17.7 14.2 12.0 9.2 20.7 22.6 23.6 24.1 22.5Medium 14.0 11.1 8.6 6.1 4.3 31.2 30.5 30.1 26.4 22.2Large 4.5 3.1 1.9 1.3 0.8 29.0 23.0 18.2 15.2 11.8All Sizes 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0Source : NSSO, Some Aspects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Operati<strong>on</strong>al Land Holdings in India, Various Rounds.Increasing Stress <strong>on</strong> Irrigati<strong>on</strong> Resources1.13 Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r serious problem is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> unequal availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> across <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country andincreasing stress <strong>on</strong> available irrigati<strong>on</strong> resources. It is well known that India is not in an enviablepositi<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> matter <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> resources. With 16 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world’s populati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>country is endowed with <strong>on</strong>ly four per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> total available fresh water. Fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r, within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>country <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regi<strong>on</strong>al distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> available water resources, including rainfall, is highly uneven.Rainfed areas account for about 60 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> total 142 milli<strong>on</strong> hectares <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> net sown areain <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country. The ultimate irrigati<strong>on</strong> potential <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country has been assessed at 140 milli<strong>on</strong>hectares (Ninth Five Year Plan). This includes 59 milli<strong>on</strong> hectares from major and mediumirrigati<strong>on</strong>, and 81 milli<strong>on</strong> hectares from minor irrigati<strong>on</strong>. The latter includes 17 milli<strong>on</strong> hectaresfrom surface water minor irrigati<strong>on</strong> schemes and 64 milli<strong>on</strong> hectares from groundwater resources.1.14 The exploitable potential is 21.4 milli<strong>on</strong> hectares, that is, about 37 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong>potential from major and medium irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects. Of this, 13.4 milli<strong>on</strong> hectares are locked upin a large number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> projects in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pipeline. Despite <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Accelerated Irrigati<strong>on</strong> BenefitProgramme (AIBP) nothing much seems to have been achieved. Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r serious problem relatesto underutilisati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> potential created because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> field channels and o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r minorinvestments. Out <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a potential <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 94 milli<strong>on</strong> hectares created till <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> end <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ninth plan, <strong>on</strong>ly80 milli<strong>on</strong> hectares have been utilised. There is a serious challenge with regard to availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>adequate water for irrigati<strong>on</strong> which is fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r accentuated because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> growing demand fordrinking water and o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r needs associated with rapid urbanisati<strong>on</strong> and industrialisati<strong>on</strong>. This callsfor acti<strong>on</strong> for efficient water resource management.17