This case study analyzes the costs and benefits of alternative strategies for mitigating the impact of drought on rural livelihoods in Uttar Pradesh. It explores both insurance mechanisms for spreading drought risk and, as an alternative, the development of groundwater irrigation for eliminating such risk.

This study by IIM-Ahmedabad examines various issues related to the gap between irrigation potential created and utilized and suggests measures for reducing the gap.

Studies indicate an urgent need to map areas that have selenium-rich soil because the element has been linked to aridity there. A study published in the September issue of Journal of Environmental Management revealed that food grains from some arid regions in Northern India had high selenium. For the study, researchers from the National University of Singapore and Maharshi Dayanand

This report is a case study on the Krishna River Basin in South India. The basin has witnessed intense water development resulting in downstream environmental degradation. The observed decline in discharge to the ocean sends a strong signal: there is only little scope for further water supply development, and further taming the Krishna waters will exacerbate environmental degradation.

This study provides insights on ground water market in minor rain fed tank irrigation milieu and also examines the conjunctive use with focus on water productivity and groundwater extraction in tank irrigation system. The study was taken up in three minor irrigation tanks in Tamil Nadu state. All are rain fed tanks depending entirely on rainfall.

Secondary salinisation is the most harmful and extended phenomenon of the unfavourable effects of irrigation on the soil and environment. An attempt was made to study the impact of poor quality ground water on soils in terms of secondary salinisation and availability of soil nutrients in Faridkot district of Punjab of northern India.

The effect of sand mining on the economic performance of groundwater irrigation has been studied in the Panruti taluk of Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu. A comparison of water productivity for different farms-size categories has been done in sand mining and non-sand mining blocks. The cropping sequence, cropping intensity, irrigation particulars, investment pattern on tubewells, use of different HP-motors, etc. have been studied in sand mining and non-sand mining blocks.

Kurukshetra: Taking a serious note of declining ground water level in the State, Agriculture Minister Harmohinder Singh Chattha on Saturday said if the farmers did not stop cultivating

In September 2003, the government of Gujarat introduced the Jyotirgram Yojana to improve rural power supply. Two major changes have since taken place: (a) villages get 24 hour three-phase power supply for domestic use, in schools, hospitals, village industries, all subject to metered tariff; and (b) tubewell owners get eight hours/day of power but of full voltage and on a pre-announced schedule. It has, however, offered a mixed bag to medium and large farmers and hit marginal farmers and the landless. This article offers an assessment of the impact of Jyotirgram, and argues that with some refinements it presents a model that other states can follow with profit. Feb 16-22, 2008

Tank irrigation accounts for more than one-third of total irrigated area in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states in India. Tank water supplies fluctuate randomly from year to year and within a year.

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