Issues and Challenges of Surface Water Management in Agriculture: A Case Study in Purulia District, West Bengal

Abstract

Purulia district is situated in the western part of West Bengal and characterised by undulating topography with rugged hilly terrain in its south and south western part. Geologically this district is dominated primarily by granite-gneiss rock, a hard crystalline rock and acts as major constrain in water percolation and water table formation. In Purulia, more than seventy per cent of the population depends on agriculture which is frequently affected by the vagaries of monsoon. Under the circumstances, the Irrigation Department of the State Govt. has constructed a number of small dams to hold water from streams, jhoras, rivers and supply irrigation water to the agriculture field in the lean period. These dams are supposed to recharge the ground water for long term basis. But lack of maintenance of these projects, problem in water sharing attitude among the farmers in the command area, poor rainfall in the catchment area have reduced the desired effect of such projects in agriculture. Some of the projects have become redundant due to high rate of siltation and frequent erosion along the canal banks. In this context the present paper tries to find out important issues and challenges associated with surface water management in agriculture in Purulia district and also make a modest attempt to explore new ways to store, conserve and supply of surface water which will be helpful for agriculture, solving acute drinking water crisis during summer and socio-economic development of the local people.