Assessment of impact of integrated soil and water conservation in drought prone area of Gangapur, in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra

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R C Kote and Arun Bide

BAIF Development Research Foundation, India

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

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Soil and water are very vital for food security in India and is also an important part of our eco system and is considered as the foundation of plant, animal and human life. Severe scarcity of drinking water was being faced for human and livestock for 6 to 8 months in a year. 60% of villages in the watershed were fed through tankers regularly due to depletion in water level. The land degradation over the years resulted in silted tanks, reduced storage capacities and potential of recharge and observed that narrowed down of natural drainage. The crops productivity was low due to unavailability of water for protective irrigation and improper fertiliser applications without knowing soil health. With an aim to conserve soil and improve water availability, various measures implemented in the watershed comprising 14 villages covering 6067ha in drought prone area of Gangapur, in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra to reduce water stress and build capacities for sustainable use of resources. It included rejuvenating the streams, tanks, soil conservation treatments, promotion of water use efficient technologies and build capacities of community to manage natural resources resulted in making all the villages free of tankers. The storage capacity restored to improve it by 2300000 cubic meters. There is an increase in ground water table. Area under protective irrigation in Kharif season has been increased and also area under irrigation in Rabi season has also increased. The crop yields and income also increased. The local institutions built to manage the natural resources.

Biography

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Raosaheb Kote has completed Masters in. Engineering in irrigation water management at the age of 25 from College of Technology and Agriculture Engineering, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. He has been working as a Senior Thematic Programme Executive in Natural Resources Management with BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune. He has contributed in the Manual of Watershed Management by B.K.Kakde, published two articles in LISA India and also submitted abstract and full length paper on ground water use in conference on "Sustainability Livelihoods: Water, Climate and Geo-Spatial Development" organized by Institute of Public Enterprise, Osmania University Campus, Hyderabad. 7-8th October,2021