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Water is essential part of life on earth. Water is an important input particularly in this study area because of arid and semi arid climate and soil conditions. Water for irrigation has three important sources rainfall, canal water and groundwater. Among the above three sources groundwater is a chief source of irrigation in Mahendragarh district.

The aim of the paper is to study the irrigation and land use in Mahendergarh.

The increase crop production and productivity has become main objective to fulfil the all demands. For this time the state government and district administration always give more importance to develop irrigation facilities. The irrigation leads to change in cropping pattern increase yields and labour use. It’s brings development to study region. According to Indian planning since 1978 the following criteria has been adopted for irrigation project.

A. Major irrigation project: The cultivated command area includes more than 10,000 hectares

B. Medium irrigation project: The cultivated command area covers from 2000 hectare to 10,000 hectares

C.  Minor irrigation project: Irrigation project which covers less than 2000 hectare as command area 

An improved agricultural facilities with irrigation will increase the agricultural develop productivity and capital accumulation.

Importance of irrigation in mahendragarh district:

The importance of irrigation in study area is explained in detail form as follows:

1. Decrease uncertainty of crop production:

The study region had generally faces the problem of uncertainty of rainfall. Most of rainfall occurs from June to September nearly 80% while 20% occur in winter season. When the rainfall does not occur at proper time and sufficient amount the crop production falls. Thus to the maintain or increase crop production the only solution is artificial supply of water to their crops known as irrigation

2. Increase crop productions:

The main object if is providing food to all people in our country. So food problem can be solved with irrigation development. The irrigation increase the net area cultivated and gross cropped area which enhance the food production.

3. Irrigation and cropping pattern:

The irrigation changes the cropping pattern by adopting new inputs like HYV seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc. High price crops like cotton, sarsaon and food crops like wheat and are grown in place of low price crops like jawar and bajra. The irrigation possibilities throughout the year help the farmer to grow at least three crops in a year or multiple cropping and enhance cropping intensity.

4. Irrigation and crop yield:

The crop yields generally three to four times more in irrigated areas than the rain fed crops. When the water is applied to the land it increases its productiveness at least six times more than the non irrigated crops.

In past many famines occurs in the study area because dependency was only on rainfall. Presently the irrigation facilities reduce the chance of famine. Irrigation also helps in augmenting and preserving the features of soil by use of sufficient supply of water.

5. Priced ability of crops:

The central government decides the MSPs at which the govt. Procures crops from farmers to ensure them against any sharp decline of process. The farmers grow those which give maximum return.

 Irrigation reduced the uncertainty of agricultural production. The sixth five year plan gave more emphasis on the importance of irrigation.

6. Irrigation returns capital’s to farmers:

The farmers grow commercial crops like cotton and sarson and cereal crops like wheat and Gram by adopting knew inputs like seeds, fertiliser’s pesticides. Farmers of this district take double or multiple cropping. It increases the farm income of farmers. They sold their crops to the market and improved more and more successively.

In this chapter the main focus of researcher is to study the general land use in Mahendergarh. it includes the meaning an importance of land use, land classification, block wise trend in general land use pattern in Mahendergarh, block wise per capita, net sown area, change in land use from 1975-76 to 2018-19 and land use efficiency.

Land use means a surface utilisation of all developed and vacant land on a particular area at given time and space.( In 1968 freeman) as geography deals with special relationship between these aspect and planning because land use change to meet the variable demand of the land by society in its new ways and condition of life.

The primary use of land are forest, pasture, crops, mining, transportation, industrial, residential, commercial and uncultivable waste, Barren and fallow land. It is rare to use land for two or more purpose with same time.

The subject of land use planning has been recently introduced in land use studies. It means the government policies related to the employment of land resources and uses in best way with the help of land utilisation. The scope of land utilization has geographic, economic and demographic aspect.

Table 1.1

Net Area under Irrigation in Mahendergarh (in 000 hectare)

Years	Govt. Canals	Tanks	Wells	Tube Wells	Others	Total	%  to Net Sown Area
1975-76	@	00	02	43	00	45	18.4
1985-86	01	00	00	59	00	60	22.9
1995-96	06	00	00	87	00	93	62
2005-06	02	00	00	32	00	34	22.4
2010-11	01	00	00	47	00	49	33.7
2015-16	01	00	00	65	01	67	43.8

.@ means less than 500 hectare

Source: Director of land records

Graph 1.1

 

The Net area irrigation means actual land area on which irrigation was used for crops in an year.the irrigation from tubewell was always useful inspite of others. The govt. Canals was the main soure of irrigation upto 1995-96. In 1985-86 the tubewells also became the major source of irrigation. The electrification for tubewells. Presently about 50 percent of irrigation is done by tube wells.

Gross irrigated Area and Total Cropped Area in Mahendergarh:Gross irrigated area refers that the total irrigated area ubder different crops in a year. If the crop grown more than one crop in a same year the Gross irrigated area counted more than once. Total cropped area means aggregated area of crops at a farm during the agriculture area. The gross irrigated area is increasing continuously. It is increase very rapidly from 1985-86 to 1995-96. It was 11000 hect in 1985-86 to 107000 hect in 1995-96. The percent to the state total irrigation is decreasing continuously because other parts the state the irrigation facilities developed very fast. The percent of gross area irrigated to the total cropped area is also increasing continuously. In 2005-06 the irrigation intensity was highest due to heavy rainfall and modernisation. 

Years	Gross Irrigated Area	% to State total	% of Gross area irrigated to the total cropped area	Irrigation intensity Gross irrigated area×100 Net irrigated area
1985-86	11	3.17	28.5	185
1995-96	107	2.37	41.5	115.05
2005-06	157	2.9	56.9	461.8
2010-11	131	2.4	46.6	267.3
2015-16	154	2.6	53	229.9
2018-19	170	2.8	55.2	246

Source: Director of land records

                           

Gross area irrigated in mahendergarh jowar crop in 000 hect.:

Jowar is major fodder crop and grown in kharif season.The area under irrigation of jowar crop is by and large same from 1975-76 to 2015-16.

Years	Mahendergarh	Haryana
1975-76	0.5	50
1985-86	0.5	43
1995-96	0.46	68
2005-06	0.49	67
2010-11	0.48	50
2015-16	0.5	44

Source:  Statistical abstract of Haryana

 

Gross area irrigated in mahendergarh Bajra crop in 000 hect.

Years	Mahendergarh	Haryana
1975-76	01	50
1985-86	01	84
1995-96	01	102
2005-06	16	189
2010-11	01	200
2015-16	06	170

Source:  Statistical abstract of Haryana

 

The gross area of irrigated area was the highest in 2005-06 which was 16000 hect areas under irrigation. The rapid change in irrigation was the prime cause of increase of area under irrigation. In comparison of state area under irrigation  is increasing in same proportion. 

Gross area irrigated of Wheat in 000 hect:

The wheat and Rice was the major crop of green revolution. In green revolution the irrigation was major factor for agricultural development. In 1985-86 the area under irrigation of wheat crop was highest due to impact of green revolution. In a state the highest growth area under irrigation increase from 1975-76 to 1985-86 due to green revolution.

Years	Mahendergarh	Haryana
1975-76	34	1084
1985-86	60	1623
1995-96	37	1939
2005-06	38	2280
2010-11	46	2488
2015-16	49	2620

Source:  Statistical abstract of haryana

 

Gross area irrigated of Barley in 000 hect:

Years	Mahendergarh	Haryana
1975-76	29	102
1985-86	13	57
1995-96	02	36
2005-06	@	26
2010-11	01	35
2015-16	01	32

Source:  Statistical abstract of Haryana

The area grown under barley is decreasing because the demand is falls down. In 1975-76 the area under irrigation of baley crop was highest and it was 29000 hectare but it is decreasing continuously and reached up to 1000 hectare only.

Gross area irrigated of total cereals in 000 hect:

Years	Mahendergarh	Haryana
1975-76	60	1661
1985-86	74	2401
1995-96	40	2973
2005-06	54	3611
2010-11	48	4014
2015-16	56	4142

Source:  Statistical abstract of haryana

The sum of all cereals under irrigation is increase from 1975-76 to 1985-86 and decreases after that it is decreasing continuously.

 

In summary we can say that as well as the irrigation facilities increased the crop production amd yield is also increased . The uncertainity of crop production os also decreased. Aftrer the green revolution the the land use pattern and crop pattern is also changed fronm 1965 to 2015. The crop production gives maximum return to the farmers.

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