Cause-effect analysis between irrigation and agricultural expansion on sub-surface water resources: a case study of Kanksa Block in Ajay–Damodar Interfluve of Barddhaman District, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Human effort to fight nature’s in the supply of water to agriculture takes the form of irrigation in the first attempt. Adoption of high yielding varieties (HYV) and intensification of agriculture in a country like India without the availability of irrigation is not possible. Indian agriculture is a gamble in the hands of monsoon since groundwater utilization may be considered as one of the important sources of irrigation throughout the year to supply water for proper seed germination in agricultural fields in India in general and every state in particular. Most of the area of Kanksa Block in Ajay–Damodar Interfluve of Barddhaman District (west of Ganga—Brahmaputra delta) is mainly constituted with older and younger alluvium, laterite and ferruginous concentration on undulating topography with moderate to high level of permeability, low storage capacity and groundwater table is not so much developed. Present work focuses threat created on sub-surface water resources due to large scale agricultural expansion with irrigation development in the last three to four decades. Available data reveals that most of the dug wells in the laterite country become almost dry during summer. It is also noted that in the laterite country particularly along the watershed like Gopalpur and north of Panagarh many of the existing tube wells yield little or insufficient water during summer time. Though ample availability of River and canal water, groundwater is highly used input in agriculture. To mitigate such problems as over dependence on groundwater resources and to meet the future water demand, use of surface water as agricultural input and utilisation of rain water in abandoned laterite quarries should be implemented because the base of each quarry is made up of impermeable lithomergic clay.