3 Review(s)

Irrigation plays a vital role in improving the yield or productivity in the agricultural sector and the impact of irrigation on reducing poverty is striking. Among the irrigation sources, tank irrigation is considered important in the dry zones as it can play a very critical role in the sustainable irrigation development in these areas. Tank irrigation has various advantages, viz. tanks can have a wider geological distribution than large-scale projects, tank investments tend to be less capital intensive, tanks have fewer negative environmental impacts and tanks can provide a variety of livelihood options to the rural people. Tank irrigation is getting importance currently in the context of climate change and declining ground water table. In spite of these advantages, tank irrigation has declined in almost all states in India over the years. Causes of a decline in tank irrigation include weakening community co-operation and budget constraints. There is an urgent need of policy focus for the development of tank irrigation. The present book highlights the problems and prospects of tank irrigation in the zones in West Bengal. The study is based on the primary survey carried out on 181 tanks in the three districts of West Bengal. The book is an outcome of a research project sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi.