244

APPENDIX-I

FIELD QUESTIONNAIRE

Water Management and Agricultural Landuse in Lower Ajay Basin

DISTRICT: BARDDHAMAN I BIRBHUM

BLOCK:

MOUZA:

J. L. No.:

1. Serial Number:

2. Head of the Family (Name):

" Plot number of his holding: -'·

4. Occupation:

5. Education:

6. Owned cultivable land (in bigha):

7. Major crogs Period of cultivation

(in months)

Aus paddy

Aman paddy

Boro paddy

Potato

Wheat

Jute

Sugarcane

Lentil

Rapeseed I Mustard

Gram

Vegetables

Others (specify)

8. Crop rotation if any:

Aggroximate cost of cultivation

~bigha (in Rs.)

245

9. Nature of agricultural implements Nature of agricultural inputs

Traditional- plough, harrow and yoke HYV seeds I local seeds

Modem-tractor, power-tiller, pumpset Chemical fertilizer/manure/ oilcake

Both traditional and modem implements Both traditional and modem inputs

10. Irrigation requirements in (put v mark on the appropriate)

Summer season

Rainy season

Winter season

All seasons

11. Sources of irrigation (put v mark on the appropriate)

Canal

Pond

Tube-well

Deep tube-well

Shallow tube-well

Sub-mersible

Others (specify)

12. Source of income of the household

13. Approximate income per month:

14. Source of finance for agriculture (put/ mark on the appropriate)

Self finance

From banks I co-operatives

From village moneylenders, traders etc.

15. Use oftechnology in agriculture (put v"mark on the appropriate)

Traditional

Use ofthresher, sprayer, Pumpset etc.

16. Problems related to agriculture and water resources:

246

1 7. Government aid for cultivation and water management (put ../' mark on

the appropriate)

Agricultural finance

Supply ofHYV seeds, pesticides, insecticides etc.

Directly purchase agricultural produce

Help from canal irrigation

Other forms of water supply like from D.T.W., S.T.W. sub-mersible etc

18. Problems related to marketing of crops:

Whether there exists surplus in agricultural production (Y I N)

Major buyers of the farm produce

Role of middleman

Whether Co-operatives directly purchase agricultural output (Y I N)

Is post harvest price profitable? (Y/ N)

I 9. Suggestions for further improvement:

Vernacular Name (Local)

Akashmoni

Am

Amaltas

Amloki

Anantmul

Arjun

Bans

Chait a

Chhatim

Dhanche

Eucalyptus

Gamar

Haritoki

Jarul

Kendu

Khejur

Krishnachura

Kusum

Mahua

Narikel

APPENDIX- 2

Natural Vegetation

Botanical Name

Acacia auriculiformis

fvfangifera indica L

Cassia fistula

Emblica officina/is

Hemidesmus indicus

Terminalia mjuna

Rambusa arzmdinaceae

Dillenia indica

Alstonia scholaris

Sesbania grandijlora

Bambusa fulda Bamhos

11-e-lvia nudiflora

Termina/ia be/erica

Iagerstroemia "fJeciosa

Dio.\pyros melanoxylon

Phoenix dactyl{fera L

!Jelonix regia

Carthamus tinctorius

Hassia lat{folia

( 'ocos nuc(fera

247

APPENDIX- 2 (Contd.)

Vernacular Name (Local)

Neem

Pal as

Parsi

Radhachura

Sal

Satamuli

Segun

Simul

Siris

Sissoo

Subabul

Tal

Botanical Name

Azardirachta indica

Butea mono~perma / frondosa

Lager stroemia indica

Peltophorum inerme

Shorea robusta

A~paragus recemosus

Tectona grandis

Sa/mafia malabarica

Albizzia lebleck

Dalbergia sissoo

Leucaena leucocephala

Borassus.flabellifer L

248

Local Term

Am an

Aratdar

A us

Bargadar

Boro

Donga

Ganj

Go path

Gram

Hindu

Jungle

APPENDIX-3

Glosery of Terms

Meaning

Winter rice

Merchant

Autumn rice

Sharecropper

Summer rice

A type of elongated shallow vessel for manual operation

Market centres on the bank of rivers

Pack-track

Village

Persons practice Hinduism

Land covered with vegetation, forest

249

Kalbaishakhi Local storm followed by rainfall, occurring in the month of

April and May

Kharif Autumn crop, harvested after the rainy season

Mughal Indian rulers practiced Muslim religion

Nawab The ruler of the state

Panchayat Pradhan Head of village level administrative body

Panchayat Samity Village level administrative body

Rabi Spring crop

Swamajayanti Golden jubilee

Local Term

Swarojgar

Yojana

Zamindari

Zilla Parishad

APPENDIX- 3 (Contd.)

Meaning

Self-employment

Programme

Type of a system of land ownership (feudal landlordism)

Administrative body to control the district

250

Months Field preparation

1 2 January Preparatory

tillage for sugarcane

APPENDIX-4

Crop Calendar

Sowing Growing I Maturing

3 4 Sowing Standing

crops include wheat, bar-ley, gram, linseed.

251

Harvesting

5 Rainfed kharif nee being threshed. Har­vesting of early cotton completed: linseed harvesting done tow­ard the close of the month: Harvesting of kharif castor.

February Land prepa­red for sugar­cane

of Wheat and barley crop maturing:

Sowing Setsamum (rabi) summer nee and jute sown

Harvesting and thres­hing of winter nee: cotton picking done: kharif castor gathered:

March

April

May

June

Bengal gram gro- harvesting of linseed, .

rape and mustard and I horse-gram.

wmg

Land Sowing of Jute: ploughed for planting of cane

Wheat crop

Harvesting of wheat m and barley: harvest­

ing of sugarcane and linseed completed: cotton picking com-

sowmg paddy

ears: grams maturing

pleted. Preparatory Sowing of kha- Growth of Harvesting and thre­

shing of wheat, gram tillage for rif crops begin. jute kharif

Preparatory tillage for kharif paddy

Land ploughed after harve­sting wheat

and pulses: barley harvesting neanng completion: threshing also begins. !

castor Jute and Threshing of whe~ sown: sowmg sugarcane and barley completed 1

Kharif

of ground nut (standing and kharif sef.- crops) samum Sowing of kha- Jute, rif paddy (am- sugarcane an): sowmg of growmg groundnut and castor (small variety)

Threshing of summer rice completed

1 July

August

Septem­ber

October

Novem­ber

Decem­ber

2 3 Ploughing of Transplantation wheat stubb\e of paddy·. bajra

sown: sowmg of groundnut and castor

Land prepared for wheat

Sowing ofbajra

Preparatory -tillage for wheat and linseed

Preparation Sowing of rabi for rabi crops crops m progress

Land prepa- Sowing of whe­red for rabi at: transplanta­crops tion of tobacco:

/linseed sown

252

4 5 Sugarcane Cutting and retting of and aus jute. paddy growmg

Ragi is ge- Cutting and retting of tting npe: jute. sugarcane . . IS growmg up: se,:sa­mum mat­unng Sugarcane and bajra growmg: ragz crop ripe Sugarcane and cotton growmg

Grams and pulses beginning to grow: sugarcane ready for being harvested

Harvesting and retting I of jute: harvesting of : kharif se~sdmum. !

I i

Harvesting of Autumn[ nee. Harvesting and ' retting of jute com- 1

pleted: ragi harvested Harvesting of kharif : paddy picking of I cotton begins.

Land plough- Sowing of rabi Germinati- Harvesting of sugar- ' ed for paddy crops completed on and elo- cane begins. :

ngation of wheat, tob­acco, lin­seed, gram and pulses

Source: Field Survey

APPENDIX- 5

Monthly Average Rainfall of Katoya Block-I in the Lower Ajay Basin (in mm.)

Pre-monsoon Monsoon Year FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT

l 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1977 0. 78 0.00 86.30 55.80 321.30 402.60 294.20 98.80 68.00 1971) 0.06 27.10 55.40 135.00 252.00 325.00 184.00 584.00 I 77.00 1979 36.30 12.50 7.30 0.00 150.90 244.20 211.40 208.30 91.20 1980 6.04 I 01.00 32.00 118.80 258.20 420.00 194.20 174.20 197.00 1981 101.80 13.40 151.40 108.20 160.00 217.10 136.90 191.60 0.00

1982 16.00 64.90 28.80 I 01.80 - 109.70 220.80 160.00 11.40

1983 19.40 57.40 23.00 151.20 224.70 182.20 257.70 170.50 126.00 1984 2.00 0.00 13.00 103.00 353.60 221.20 430.60 252.20 109.00

1985-86 4.20 - 0.00 120.70 118.70 222.80 170.00 150.80 124.80

Monthly Average Rainfall of Bolpur Block in the Lower A.jay Basin (in mm.) Pre-monsoon Monsoon

Year FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT l 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1976 35.00 17.20 31.00 111.30 81.80 364.20 251.20 87.00 78.40

1977 16.00 - 69.20 146.20 492.70 424.20 247.20 127.10 64.20 1978 40.00 42.00 33.80 70.20 349.60 395.90 271.40 765.60 174.40 1979 55.00 1.00 25.00 1.00 150.80 308.00 149.90 246.20 111.90 1980 3.00 45.00 13.40 118.60 467.10 262.20 363.20 167.80 308.80

1981 0.00 13.00 64.20 148.80 198.80 413.50 331.00 130.80 0.00

1982 5.40 16.00 59.80 77.60 139.60 87.20 305.20 89.80 3.00

1983 22.20 26.00 89.90 79.80 114.10 - 263.20 290.00 -1984 - - - - - - - - -

L_ 19XS-86 - - - - 222.lW - - - -

Post-monsoon

NOV DEC 11 12

49.60 41.00

0.00 0.00

29.00 2.30

0.00 0.00

1.00 5.30

23.40 0.00

0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00

Post-monsoon

NOV DEC 11 12

- -44.00 49.00 11.60 1.40

39.30 23.10 0.00 0.00

0.00 40.00

20.40 0.00

- -- -- -

JAN 13

0.00

10.70

20.40

54.70

5.40

4.00

7.40

0.00

0.00 -------

JAN 13

8.20

1.00 31.80

31.00 23.20 18.00

2.00

--- N

V1 (;J

APPENDIX- 5 (Contd.)

Monthly Average Rainfall of Nanur Block in the Lower A jay Basin (in mm.) Pre-monsoon Monsoon

Year FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1976 18.00 0.00 46.40 182.20 110.20 293.10 237.50 136.30 41.00

1977 8.00 0.00 104.00 80.00 485.00 366.00 317.00 157.00 120.90

1978 36.00 39.00 5.00 66.00 226.00 267.00 220.00 562.00 250.00 1979 1.00 17.00 5.00 0.00 140.00 312.00 155.00 278.00 56.00 1980 5.00 86.00 7.00 98.00 365.00 234.00 435.00 131.00 291.00 1981 101.00 5.00 I 13.00 60.00 75.00 405.00 313.00 169.00 0.00 1982 0.00 - - - - 95.00 275.00 109.00 -1983 27.00 23.00 80.00 78.00 85.00 - - - -1984 - - 14.70 72.40 - - 399.60 236.80 103.90

I 985-86 I I .30 12.20 0.00 87.00 2 I 1.40 270.9 293.90 158.20 -

Monthly Average Rainfall of Ilambazar Block in the Lower Ajay Basin (in mm.) Pre-monsoon Monsoon

Year FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1976 29.20 0.00 10.00 101.30 72.70 79.60 187.20 301.80 92.80

1977 11.60 1.80 75.20 108.80 555.60 362.60 241.10 184.50 90.50

1978 29.50 41.30 18.00 79.50 251.50 347.00 296.50 - -1979 0.00 - - - - 431.80 - 186.40 118.10

1980 8.50 126.50 37.90 98.20 275.90 229.30 317.00 235.60 235.80

1981 89.60 18.90 52.80 254.40 108.70 297.40 153.20 212.50 -1982 2.20 49.80 21.00 104.20 144.80 179.40 306.20 82.20 5.40

1983 12.00 48.20 51.60 84.00 186.20 246.20 223.60 301.60 105.60

1984 0.00 - - - 432.60 528.40 264.90 184.00 68.00

I ()85-8(J 2.50 14.20 2.80 211.50 174.90 286.20 289.60 166.20 61.40

Post-monsoon NOV DEC

11 12 24.00 0.00 49.80 60.00 2.00 0.00 32.00 20.00 0.00 0.00

- -23.00 -

- -0.00 -0.00 -

Post-monsoon NOV DEC

11 12 0.00 0.00

31.50 37.00

- -49.50 13.90

- -- 36.00

16.60 -- 19.40

- -2.40 -

JAN 13

1.00 0.00

28.00 44.30 25.00 0.00 4.00 0.00 8.20 10.30

JAN 13

11.00

2.10 0.00

18.60 37.70

9.50

1.20

8.60 0.00

0.00

:

N Vl ~

APPENDIX- 5 (Contd.)

Monthly Average Rainfall ofMangalkot Block in the Lower Ajay Basin (in mm.)

Pre-monsoon Monsoon Year FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT

l 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1976 - - 73.00 - 101.90 380.30 222.80 97.00 27.60 1977 - - 75.80 131.80 472.80 418.20 278.60 45.80 107.00 1978 16.40 47.00 46.60 108.60 511.00 188.80 167.90 578.00 155.00 1979 33.40 4.20 2.20 0.00 106.80 361.50 145.50 288.50 104.90 1980 4.00 60.00 40.60 I 73.00 395.60 476.40 278.60 157.40 17.60 1981 91.60 14.80 152.40 202.80 147.40 289.00 390.00 194.00 3.00 1982 2.00 73.00 33.50 90.00 161.00 97.10 250.70 43.50 14.20 1983 0.80 80.00 122.20 124.40 99.80 219.8 264.70 158.90 64.80

1984 - 0.00 27.20 97.30 382.60 254.20 460.40 297.00 108.40 1985-86 13.00 19.00 0.00 166.00 156.50 138 357.00 55.00 100.00

Monthly Average Rainfall of Ausgram Block in the Lower Ajay Basin (in mm.)

Pre-monsoon Monsoon Year FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1976 0.00 0.00 217.00 111.80 171.60 314.00 193.20 176.40 45.80

1977 13.20 0.00 45.30 86.80 620.80 326.90 152.80 133.20 24.80

1978 15.20 36.20 69.40 108.20 109.90 157.80 179.20 380.00 82.20

1979 38.80 6.20 15.60 2.60 121.40 292.90 150.80 166.00 49.20

1980 6.00 109.00 13.80 117.40 395.20 220.20 242.80 164.00 190.40

1981 84.20 11.60 109.80 129.20 178.60 327.00 204.00 168.20 14.20

1982 2.20 74.40 61.60 55.80 139.50 124.10 270.70 77.60 1.20

1983 4.20 - 90.10 138.60 109.10 130.00 297.50 - -ll) g,~ 2.30 0. ()() 52.20 - 516.30 293.70 344.60 215.80 81.90

I <>SS-86 10.20 32JO 0.00 161.60 146.30 156.90 282.00 104.60 114.10 '- -- ---

Source: Department of Agricultural Meteorology. Government of West Bengal.

Post-monsoon NOV DEC

11 12 15.80 0.00

39.40 45.00

0.00 0.00

33.90 14.00

0.00 0.00

- -20.20 0.00 0.00 18.60

0.00 -0.00 -

Post-monsoon NOV DEC

11 12 4.20 0.00

46.20 39.00

0.00 2.00

27.80 20.60

0.00 0.00

0.00 78.40 17.60 0.00

- -0.00 0.00 4.00 0.00

JAN 13

12.00

0.00 10.60 9.40

24.30 30.00 3.20 17.30 4.00 0.00

JAN 13

8.40 0.00 10.40 9.60 11.80 3.40 3.00

17.00 0.00 0.00

'

N v. v.

256

OUTCROP AGRI CU LT URAL ! FIEL D

Plate 1: A rocky outcrop piercing through agricultural plot: Bankathi mouza.

Plate 2: Lateritic cap: Dambazar block.

257

-

Plate 3: A view of the Diara surface: lower Ajay basin. Shoals are frequent in the channel of the river Ajay. A point bar is seen betwixt the channel and the vegetated foreground.

Plate 4: Confluence of the Ajay with the Bhagirathi river.

258

Plate 5: A sample agricultural landuse on the Kunur nala flood plain. Paddy fields are seen amid vegetation and settlements at the background.

Plate 6: Irrigating agricultural land by shallow pump set; harnessing ground water resource.

259

Plate 7: The only deep tube-well m the lower Ajay basin located in Halsidanga mouza.

Plate 8: River lift irrigation being carried out from the Ajay river m Halsidanga mouza. A pipe in the foreground attests the effort.

260

Plate 9: Utilization of surface water from man made ditches. Rain water is collected in these ditches for subsequent use during the dry winter months: a view of Bankathi mouza.

HINGLA CANAL

Plate 10: Lockgate on the Hingla canal to regulate flood water in the Ajay river.

261

Plate 11: Mayurakshi feeder canal with gauge station for recording gauge heights at regular interval of time.

Plate 12: Harvesting winter rice (Boro) in Bankathi mouza by manual method. Plots under mustard cultivation in the background.

262

Plate 13: Cultivation of sugarcane as a cash crop in irrigated plots in Goai mouza.

Plate 14: A view of the Bingla surface viewed from the Bingla dam. Agriculture is carried out by irrigation in this area.

263

Plate 15: Preparation of field by traditional method: overdependence on animate energy - a characteristic feature of intensive subsistence agriculture in the lower Ajay basin.

Plate 16: Introduction of modern implements in agriculture. Use of hand tractor in Goai mouza.

264

Plate 17: Bank erosion: section of a river cliff is being sJumped ofT aJong the bank of the Ajay.

Plate 18: A view of river bank protection along the river Ajay.

265

Plate 19: A view of the Ajay Bandh in Kogram mouza. It has been constructed to prevent flood. In effect, it is responsible for extensive waterlogging in the area.

Plate 20: A view of the Ajay flood. It is a frequent hazard during the monsoons.

266

Plate 21: One of the flood shelters constructed by the Lion's Club in Kogram. Household survey is carried by the researcher seen on the staircase of one of such flood shelters.

Plate 22: Drought ridden agricultural plot in the Bankathi mouza: top soil developed deep cracks and fissures.

267

Plate 23: DJegaJ removal of sand from the bank of the river Ajay in Goai mouza.

Plate 24: Sands are being collected unscrupulously from the Ajay river bed in Katoya I block.

268