Awareness and Adoption Level of Farmers Towards Water Harvesting Practices

Abstract

Rainwater harvesting has multi uses as it can be used for watering gardens in our homes and crop plants in agricultural fi elds. Water requirement is mainly supplied by supplemental crop irrigation due to low and uncertain annual rainfall dryland regions. These reduce the reliance of farmers on other sources of water supply to save money. The harvested water can also be committed to longer-term storage or groundwater recharge. Rainwater harvesting and its utilization have a very important role to play in harnessing the production potential within dryland systems. The study was undertaken in Fatehabad and Hisar districts of Haryana to assess the Awareness level of farmers about and to assess the Adoption level of farmers about water harvesting practices during monsoon. The results of the study concluded that a majority (78.75%) of the respondents were aware about Rainwater harvesting practices during monsoon season, 76.25 per cent of the farmers were aware about 'Rainwater harvesting and storage by diff erent methods, about three-fourth (70.00%) of respondents were aware that ‘Rainwater harvesting reduces the cost for pumping of groundwater’. About one-third (35.00%) of the respondents were fully adopted 'Laser Land Leveller technology to harvest rainwater uniformly in the fi eld followed by 'Field bunding of farm for rainwater harvesting (31.25%), and 27.50 per cent of the respondents were adopted Rainwater harvesting schemes initiated by the Govt. of Haryana. It is also suggested a movement for popularizing the water harvesting practices should be started among farmers and villagers by all agricultural departments to save the water for further & future use for diff erent purposes