LIVELIHOOD ZONES ANALYSIS

Transcription

1 LIVELIHOOD ZONES ANALYSIS A tool for planning agricultural water management investments West Bengal Improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers Prepared by Rajathat PRASARI, Kolkata, West Bengal, India in consultation with FAO, 211

2 About this report The AgWater Solutions Project aimed at designing agricultural water management (AWM) strategies for smallholder farmers in sub Saharan Africa and in India. The project was managed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and operated jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) and International Development Enterprise (IDE). It was implemented in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia and in the States of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal in India. Several studies have highlighted the potential of AWM for poverty alleviation. In practice, however, adoption rates of AWM solutions remain low, and where adoption has taken place locally, programmes aimed at disseminating these solutions often remain a challenge. The overall goal of the project was to stimulate and support successful pro-poor, gender-equitable AWM investments, policies and implementation strategies through concrete, evidence-based knowledge and decision-making tools. The project has examined AWM interventions at the farm, community, watershed, and national levels. It has analyzed opportunities and constraints of a number of small-scale AWM interventions in several pilot research sites across the different project countries, and assessed their potential in different agro-climatic, socio-economic and political contexts. This report was prepared as part of the efforts to assess the potential for AWM solutions at national level. The livelihood zones analysis divides the country in a series of areas where rural people share relatively homogeneous living conditions on the basis of a combination of biophysical and socio-economic determinants. It describes the main sources of livelihood of rural populations (by category of people), their natural resources base, potential and key constraints to development. It analyses the relation between people and water and helps understanding to what extent and how water can be a factor for development.

3 Livelihood Zones analyisis in West Bengal A scenario for AWM interventions Prepared by: Rajarhat PRASARI, Kolkata (India) In consultation with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome (Italy) i

4 PRASARI is a non-governmental organization, which was established in 27 and works in the rural development sector. Within less than four years, PRASARI proved its role in improving food sufficiency in southern West Bengal in Sundarbans. PRASARI shares part of its success with local Panchayeti Raj Institutions (PRIs), which takes a lead role in some parts of Sunderban. Further, PRASARI has expanded into the northern parts of West Bengal such as Jalpaiguri district where a system of rice Intensification (SRI) has been introduced and promoted. PRASARI believes that small-scale and marginal farmers would be most benefitted by this new intervention. Today PRASARI is the leading organization promoting SRI in the state of West Bengal. PRASARI receives its support from various national funding agencies such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and has recently begun consultations with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on the potential for Agriculture Water Management (AWM) in India. This document has been prepared by PRASARI in consultation with FAO. Livelihood Zones were identified during the workshop held November 21 in Kolkata (India). The data used in this document were collected from various government agencies in electronic format and online resources such as government websites. Mailing address: PRASARI 17 B, Bapujinagar, Jadavpur, Kolkata 92 India prasarikolkata@gmail.com May 211 ii

5 Contents ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS... VII 1 INTRODUCTION... 1 IMPORTANT MAPS OF INDIA BACKGROUND METHODOLOGY... 4 OVERVIEW OF THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL... 6 POPULATION OF WEST BENGAL... 7 LAND-USE PATTERN IN WEST BENGAL... 8 ZONE 1 DARJEELING ZONE 2 DARJEELING, KOCH BIHAR, UTTAR DINAJPUR AND JALPAIGURI PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RICE ZONE 2A KOCH BIHAR ZONE 3 DAKSHIN DINAJPUR, MALDAH, MURSHIDABAD AND UTTAR DINAJPUR Dakshin Dinajpur ZONE 4 MALDAH... 3 ZONE 5 MALDAH AND MURSHIDABAD MURSHIDABAD ZONE 6 PARTS OF BANKURA, BARDHAMAN AND BIRBHUM Bardhamann BARDHAMAN ZONE 7 BANKURA, BARDHAMAN, HAORA, HUGLI, NADIA, NORTH 24 PARGANAS, PASCHIM MEDINIPUR, PURBA MEDINIPUR, SOUTH 24 PARGANAS... 4 WEST MIDNAPUR ZONE 7A BARDHAMAN AND BIRBHUM ZONE 8 BANKURA, WEST MEDINIPUR AND PURULIA DISTRICTS ZONE 9 PARTS OF BANKURA, PASCHIM MEDINIPUR AND PURULIYA ZONE 1 PARTS OF HAORA, HUGLI, NADIA, NORTH AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS ZONE 11 FIVE BLOCKS OF SOUTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT ZONE 12 SOME BLOCKS OF NORTH 24 PARGANAS, EAST MEDINIPUR AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS ZONE 13 NORTH AND SOUTH 24 PARGANAS AWM INVESTMENT POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS AS AN AWM INTERVENTION WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT WATER HARVEST WATER AND SOIL CONSERVATION iii

6 ELECTRIFICATION FINANCING DRIP IRRIGATION SMALL-SCALE LIFT IRRIGATION... 8 SOLAR CAPACITY BUILDING REFERENCES ANNEXES ANNEX 1 PRODUCTION DETAILS OF DIFFERENT CROPS ( TONNES) IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS (26-27) ANNEX 2 PRODUCTIVITY DETAILS OF DIFFERENT CROPS (KG/HA) IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS (26-27) ANNEX 3 LIVELIHOOD ZONES ATTRIBUTE TABLE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS ANNEX 4 LIVELIHOOD ZONES ATTRIBUTE TABLE SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS ANNEX 5 LIVELIHOOD ZONES ATTRIBUTE TABLE WATER-RELATED ASPECTS ANNEX 6 LIVELIHOOD ZONES ATTRIBUTE TABLE WATER-RELATED ASPECTS List of Figures 1 Map 1 Hydrological, 2 District population, 3 Drought prone areas, 4 Flood prone areas, 5 Groundwater quality, 6 Land use, 7 Population growth, 8 Decadal groundwater fluctuation ( ) 2 Different zones defined by the participants during the group discussion 3 Agro-ecological map of West Bengal 4 Map of Livelihood Zones 5 West Bengal showing all districts 6 Population in the districts of West Bengal 21 7 Growth of population in West Bengal over the years ( ) 8 Available land area in different districts 9 West Bengal and land use pattern 1 Area utilized for agriculture purpose in different districts 11 Fallow areas 12 Area utilized for non-agricultural purposes 13 Map of Darjeeling 14 Persons engaged in agriculture in different blocks of Zone 1 15 Broken highways 16 Production of major food crops in Zone 1 17 Productivity of major food crops in Zone 1 18 Production (thousand tonne/ha) and productivity (kg/ha) patterns of rice in different seasons (26-27) 19 Map of Jalpaiguri 2 People engaged in agriculture in blocks of Zone 2 21 Production of major crops in district of Jalpaiguri 22 Productivity of major crops in Zone 2 23 Production and productivity pattern of rice in different seasons in Zone 2 (26-27) 24 Map of Koch Bihar 25 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 2a 26 Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 2a 27 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 2a 28 Production and productivity pattern of rice in Zone 2a in different seasons (26-27) 29 Map of Uttar Dinajpur 3 Map of Dakshin Dinajpur 31 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 3 32 Map of Maldah 33 Eroded embankment resulting from flooded Ganga iv

7 34 Production pattern of major crops in Zone 3 35 Productivity pattern of major crops 36 Production pattern of rice in Zone 3 in three different seasons (26-27) 37 Productivity pattern of rice in zone 3 in three different seasons (26-27) 38 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 4 39 Production pattern of major crops in Zone 4 (26-27) 4 Productivity pattern of major crops in Zone 4 41 Production and productivity pattern of rice in three different seasons in Zone 4 42 Map of Murshidabad 43 Number of persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 5 44 Production pattern of major crops in Zone 5 45 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 5 46 Production and productivity patterns of rice in three different seasons in Zone 5 47 Map of Birbhum 48 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 6 49 Map of Bardhman 5 Population growth in Bardhaman 51 Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 6 52 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 6 53 Production and productivity patter of rice in three different seasons in Zone 6 54 Map of Nadia 55 Map of Hooghly 56 Map of Howrah 57 Map of East Medinipur 58 North 24 Parganas 59 Map of Bankura 6 Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 7 61 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 7 62 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zones 7 63 Production and productivity pattern of rice in zones 7 and 7a 64 Persons engaged in agricultuer in Zone 7a 65 Map of Purulia 67 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 8 68 A typical village transact 69 Resource ownership pattern of a typical marginal family in the zone 7 A typical cycle in the zone 71 Production patter of major crops in Zone 8 72 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 8 73 Production and productivity pattern of rice in three different seasons in Zone 8 74 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 9 75 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 1 76 Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 1 77 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 1 78 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 12 8 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone Resoruce map of a village in coastal West Bengal 82 Voting was done in order to prioritize zones for AWM interventions 83 Solution in the zones and its relevance 84 Rainfall pattern in different districts 85 Ground water situation in Zone 6, 7, 7a, and Water harvest and its relevance in each area 87 Area available for production of Boro rice in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest 88 Yield in Kg/ha of Boro rice in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest 89 Rainfall trend in zones relevant for intervention with water harvest 9 Water and soil conservation and its relevance in each zone 91 Rainfall trend in zones relevant for interventin with water and soil conservation 92 Trend in irrigation in zones relevant for intervention with water and soil conservation 93 Electrification and its relevance in each zone v

8 94 River Lift Irrigation schemes owned and run by WRDD 95 Financing and its relevance in each zone 96 Drip irrigation and its relevance in each zone 97 Small-scale lift irrigation and its relevance in each zone 98 Solar and its relevance in each zone 99 Capacity building and its relevance in each zone List of Tables 1 Nomenclature of Livelihood Zones based on key characteristics and key livelihoods 2 Zones and districts falling under a particular zone 3 Overview of West Bengal 4 Zone 1 showing districts and blocks 5 Zone 2 districts and blocks 6 An overview of Jalpaiguri district 7 Zone 2a districts and blocks 8 Overview of district Koch Bihar 9 Overview of district Uttar Dinajpur 1 Zone 3 with its districts and blocks 11 Overview of Dakshin Dinajpur 12 Overview of District Maldah 13 Zone 4 districts and blocks 14 Zone 5 districts and blocks 15 Overview of district Murshidabad 16 Zone 6 with its districts and blocks 17 Overview of district Birbhum 18 Overview of district Bardhhaman 19 District 7 with its districts and blocks 2 Overview of district Nadia 21 Overview of district North 24 Parganas 22 Zone 8 districts and blocks 23 Percentage of the underdeveloped communities 24 Work availability in different districts 25 Land size class in the zone 26 Land categories and their usage 27 The percentage of cultivable land and irrigated area (26-7) 28 Zone 1 districts and blocks 29 Different solutions and their relevance explored during the workshop in different zones 3 Zones showing relevance of intervention with Watershed development 31 Zones showing relevance of intervention with water harvest 32 Zones showing relevance of intervention with water and soil conservation 33 Zones showing relevance of intervention with electrification 34 Zones showing relevance of intervention with financing 35 Zones showing relevance for intervention with drip irrigation 36 Zones showing relevance for intervention with small-scale lift irrigation 37 Zones showing their relevance for solar intervention 38 Zone showing their relevance for intervention with capacity building vi

9 Acronyms and abbreviations AEZ Agro-ecological zones AWM Agricultural Water Management FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations GIS Geographical Information Systems HDI Human development index Kharif Rainy season crops Lahk Unit in Asian system. One hundred thousand, usually written as 1, MSME Micro and small medium enterprises NFSM National Food Security Mission PRI Panchayeti Raj Institutions RKVY Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana RLI River lift irrigation NGO Non-governmental organization NBARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development PMRY Prime Minister s Rozgar Yojana SGSY Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yogna SRI System of Rice Intensification SDTT Sir Dorabji Tata Trust ST Scheduled tribe TMC Total miscellaneous crops vii

10 1 INTRODUCTION Water is a precious natural resource, which in India is becoming scarcer in several states; the reason is not its unavailability but rather its harvesting potential. In West Bengal, see Figure 1 (1 and 5) explains the situation. There is a huge difference between groundwater potential (yield litres/s) and groundwater quality where groundwater is low. West Bengal, where more than 72 percent of the population resides in villages, is predominantly agriculture dependent. Rural livelihoods are vulnerable to both floods and droughts, therefore, water has to be planned for, developed, conserved and managed, keeping in mind the socio-economic aspects and needs of the State (MInistry of Water Resources, 22). Water is also one of the most important aspects to be considered during development planning at ground level. With technology, a major portion of agriculture in drought-prone areas can be fed with deep tube wells, using shallow water pumps (Figure 1; 4). Though use varies from state-to-state, research shows a sharp decline in the groundwater table over the years (Figure 1; 8). Availability of technology and proper infrastructure might help conserve water thus increasing its availability during the dry season. Lack of awareness of water-related issues in communities, however, can put any conservation efforts at risk. According to the non-governmental organization (NGO) Development Alternatives Group, it is recognized that water problems cannot be solved with quick technical solutions; solutions to water problems require the consideration of various cultural, educational, and scientific aspects (Development Alternatives Group, 21). In India, State Governments run various schemes such as canal irrigation, river lift irrigation (RLI), etc. through local administration to strengthen irrigation facilities for local farmers. The ideal situation is to form an arrangement based on user cooperatives/societies (Phadhke, 22) because the shift in trend towards the use of groundwater resources may be related to the lack of proper canal maintenance/rlis (IWMI, 21). Furthermore, the use of shallow water tube wells, and other low-power irrigation devices, permit users independent rights to use groundwater for farming. In this light, if policies to devolve the management of resources assume that (only) users will organize and take on the necessary management for community-based irrigation facilities this may result in the system becoming dysfunctional within a short time (Meinzen-Dick, Raju et al., 22). Linking of the above information to that of monsoon rainfall, which is the largest source of water for agriculture, has been random over a long period. Monsoon rainfall trends, based on the rainfall data from 191 to 23, have been noted in sub-himalayan West Bengal and on the Sikkim and Bihar plains (decreasing) and Punjab, Konkan and Goa, West Madhya Pradesh and Telangana (increasing) (Guhathakurta and Rajeevan, 28). With climate change it may be assumed these rainfall trends will be affected. This implies that water use policies should take a broader perspective and not be based on immediate solutions so that Indian agriculture can achieve its long-term goals. 1

11 IMPORTANT MAPS OF INDIA Figure 1 Map 1 Hydrological, 2 District population, 3 Drought prone areas, 4 Flood prone areas, 5 Groundwater quality, 6 Land use, 7 Population growth, 8 Decadal groundwater fluctuation ( ) 2

12 2 BACKGROUND During the workshop held in November 21 in Kolkata (WB) a map of West Bengal was produced (Figure 1) showing the different zones (see Annexes for details) identified based on the similarity of the living conditions in rural communities. Participants from different government agencies and NGOs contributed to exploring solutions and overcoming the problems of water for agriculture in West Bengal; the relevance of each solution was also defined for each zone. Participants helped identify priority zones, where AWM could provide a possible solution to contraints to agricultural production. The relevance of criteria such as poverty level, unavailability of infrastructure, etc. was considered in the context of rural communities. Figure 2 Different zones defined by the participants during the group discussion The zones defined in Figure 2 are based on information provided by the expert participants and does not necessarily match the agrio-ecological zones (AEZ) map of West Bengal. During the two-day workshop, experts group discussions and presentations resulted in identification of key features in West Bengal. Five groups were formed (for details see Workshop Report), facilitators provided the necessary tools such as maps, and assisted in defining objectives. Despite the different backgrounds of the participants, group consensus produced the relevant zones for AWM interventions. Figure 3 Agro-ecological map of West Bengal 3

13 3. METHODOLOGY Profiling of the different zones included identification of zones; a brief look into aspects of the State of West Bengal; and identification of AWM investment potential. Datasets pertaining to area, population, climate, workers, agriculture, etc. were obtained from the Bureau of Applied Economics and Statistics (Government of West Bengal) and the National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India). Much information was collected from different scientific papers and secondary sources to facilitate better analysis of existing datasets obtained from the different government departments. The relevance of each of the solutions identified by participants were discussed, see Table 2. Delineation of zones in West Bengal The two-day PRASARI and FAO workshop was held in Kolkata. Participants from different government and non-government agencies discussed improvements to the agriculture water situation in West Bengal. Many zones were identified, but after discussions a total of 15 zones were decided upon (except Kolkata) (Figure 2, Table 1). Different maps such as soil map, AEZ map and agro-climatic maps were considered in order to delineate boundaries for the livelihood zones. Identification of livelihood zones A detailed analysis was made of climate, population, agriculture, poverty, and water-related issues to define different livelihood zones along with analyses of specific zones and the possibility of investment. The most important criteria for investment included poverty levels, followed by lack of infrastructure for water, technology and management. West Bengal GIS layers (up to block level) were used to define the boundaries of the livelihood zones and then superimposed on the administrative map. Delineation of the boundaries of all livelihood zones was random and not district specific. Zones had vague boundaries in contrast to a normal revenue map of the area (Figure 4). It became clear from the map of livelihood zones that a single zone might cover more than one district. Names of livelihood zones Table 1 Nomenclature of Livelihood Zones based on key characteristics and key livelihoods Zone Zone 1: Zone 2: Zone 2a: Zone 3: Zone 4: Zone 5: Zone 6: Zone 7: Zone 7a: Zone 8: Zone 9: Zone 1: Zone 11: Zone 12: Zone 13: Nomenclature based on key characteristics and key livelihoods in the zone Hilly-Terai Rainfed Grain Crops 1 -Fruits-Vegetables- Spices 2 - Livestock Livelihood Zone. Terai-Grain crops-fiber-vegetables-livestock Livelihood zone. Terai-Grain crops-fiber-tobacco-vegetables-livestock Livelihood zone. Barind Rainfed- Grain crops-pine apple-fiber Livelihood zone. Barind-Rice-Horticulture Livelihood zone. Gangetic Alluvial & Barind- Rice-Sericulture Livelihood zone. Ruhr & Alluvial-Grain crops-poultry-livestock Livelihood Zone. Ruhr & Alluvial-Grain crops-fishery-poultry-livestock-cottage Industry Livelihood zone. Old Vindhyan alluvial-grain crops-fishery-poultry-livestock-cottage Industry Livelihood Zone. Ruhr & Alluvial-Grain crops-livestock Livelihood zone. Eastern Plateau & Alluvial-Grain crops-livestock Livelihood zone. Coastal & Alluvial-Grain crops-fishery-floriculture-vegetable-legumes-livestock Livelihood zone. Coastal-Grain crops-horticulture-livestock-fishery Livelihood zone. Coastal-Grain crops-fishery-livestock-bund Horticulture Livelihood zone. Coastal-Small Scale Single crop (Grain/Horticulture)-Capture Fishery-Livestock Livelihood zone. 1 Grain crops typically include rice, wheat, mustard and maize, and in some zones such as zone 1, millet. 2 Spice crops typically include cardamom, ginger, turmeric. 4

14 Livelihood zones in West Bengal Table 2 Zones and districts falling under a particular zone SN Zones Districts falling under the zone 1 Zone 1 Darjeeling 2 Zone 2 Jalpaiguri 3 Zone 2a Koch Bihar 4 Zone 3 Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and Maldah 5 Zone 4: Maldah 6 Zone 5: Maldah, Murshidabad 7 Zone 6: Birbhum, Bardhman 8 Zone 7 Birbhum, Bardhman, Nadia, Hugli, Haora, East Midnapur, West Midnapur, Bankura, North 24 Parganas 9 Zone 7a Birbhum, Bardhman 1 Zone 8: Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapur 11 Zone 9: Purulia 12 Zone 1: Kolkata, Nadia, Haora, North and South 24 Parganas 13 Zone 11: South 24 Parganas 14 Zone 12: South 24 Parganas, East Midnapur 15 Zone 13: South 24 Parganas Figure 2 Map of Livelihood Zones 5

15 OVERVIEW OF THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL West Bengal covers km 2 and is the third largest economy in India. There are 18 districts and Kolkata serves as the state capital. There are over 23 towns with a population of over 1. The largest cities are Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol, Durgapur and Siliguri. Other important towns include Darjeeling, Kharagpur and Haldia. Kolkata is one of the largest metropolitan regions in the world. The state shares international boundaries with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal (IMRB International 21). The River Ganga and its numerous tributaries have contributed to some of the most fertile regions in the world. In West Bengal, agriculture is the mainstay for about 7 percent of the population. Land usage is as follows: arable land 62.8 percent; forests percent; the rest is for other purposes and shall be discussed in detail in the following subsections. The state of West Bengal has been a centre of a rich history, culture and heritage. With a population of over 9 million, West Bengal is the fourth most populous state in India, and ranks first in terms of population density. West Bengal is predominantly an agriculture driven state (Figure 1; 6), however, there has been a rich tradition of industry since the start of the industrial age. The state is actively engaging in investments in industrial sectors to ensure maintaining its past leadership in industrialization. West Bengal is a state with progressive thought and forward vision; the people are known for their strong sense of culture and knowledge. The state has earned the distinction of being one of the food basket states of India (Prahalad 21). Table 3 Overview 3 of West Bengal Figure 5 West Bengal showing all districts Particular Measure Capital Kolkata Area ~ 89 km 2 (2.7% of India s area) Human Development Index (HDI).61 No. of Districts 18 State Language Bengali Population > 91 Million (Male: Female = 51%:49%) Urban Rural Breakup of Population 22.97: 72.3 (%) State s share in India s Population 7.28 % Population Growth ( ) 17.77% 3 Source: 6

16 Population in, Population of West Bengal Based on the Census of India (21) the estimated population of West Bengal in 21 was 8.17 million the projection for 211 was 91 million District wise Population in West Bengal - 21 Figure 3 Population in the districts of West Bengal 21 The populations in the different districts fall into four categories: 1. Low population districts Darjeeling, Dakshin Dinajpur, Cooch Bihar, Uttar Dinajpur and Purulia. 2. Moderately populated districts Jalpaiguri, Maldah, Bankura, Birbhum 3. Medium populated districts West Midnapur, East Midnapur, Nadia, Hooghly, and Howrah. 4. Highly populated districts Murshidabad, Bardhman, North and South 24 Parganas. Population growth in West Bengal ( ) Year Figure 4 Growth of population in West Bengal over the years ( ) Figure 7 shows that the population in West Bengal quadrupled over the last 7 years, with maximum increase in the highly populated districts (Census of India, 21) of Murshidabad, Bardhman, North and South 24 Parganas. This information is important in terms of AWM intervention possibilities in West Bengal. Maximum industrial development took place in these highly populated districts only. This also indicates that priority zones (Zones 8, 2 and 12) were almost left behind during development. Lack of proper road networks, poor electricity grids, poor agricultural growth, and poverty are among the major issues in priority zones. 7

17 ARea in ha Land-use pattern in West Bengal Total available land in West Bengal is ha; out of which > 5 percent is available in only 6 districts (Figure 8) Land area available in West Bengal Districts Figure 5 Available land area in different districts Land-use pattern (Figure 9) shows there are only four broad categories, which can be divided into: net sown area for agriculture purposes, for non-agricultural use, forest area and fallow land. Land Use pattern in West Bengal Net area sown Current fallow Fallow land other than current fallow Culturable waste land Misc. tree groves Permanent pastures & other grazing land Barren & unculturable land Non-agricultural use Forest Area Area in ha 5296 Figure 6 West Bengal and land use pattern 8

18 Area in ha Area in ha Net area sown (Agriculture) Figure 7 Area utilized for agriculture purpose in different districts All the priority zones (Zone 8, 2 and 12) comply with the current situation of agriculture; fallow area data from the districts concerned show there is a need to intervene because much land is not being utilized for any purpose. Purulia and Bankura show the highest area of fallow land, which falls into the high priority zones Current fallow Figure 8 Fallow areas Purulia comes first in the priority zones, and is predominantly mono-cropped. About 6 percent of the total cultivated land is upland. Out of the total agricultural holdings about 73 percent belongsto small-scale and marginal farmers having scattered and fragmented smallholdings. Paddy is the primary crop. Of the total area 5 percent is under the net-cropped area and only 17 percent of the net cropped area is under multi-crop cultivation. Aman paddy cultivation accounts for 77 percent of the net-cropped area. The crops are mainly rainfed, with low fertilizer consumption per unit area. Per hectare production is also low as compared to other district in West Bengal (Anno, 211). Bankura the net cultivable area is 4.3 lakh ha (lakh = One hundred thousand, usually written as 1 ) and cultivators amount to 4.47 lakhs. Per cultivator availability of net sown area is 1.2 ha. Because of the continuous division and fragmentation of cultivated land, agriculture is becoming less remunerative. About 46 percent of the net-cropped area is under irrigation. The gross cropped area is about 6 lakh ha and cropping intensity is 147 percent. 9

19 Area in ha Area in ha Other major land uses in all the districts are non-agricultural and forest area Non-agricultural use Figure 9 Area utilized for non-agricultural purposes Forest Area Figure 1: Area utilized for growing forests. 1

20 ZONE 1 DARJEELING Darjeeling is the only district that falls into Zone 1. With an area of km 2, Darjeeling is different from all other zones with its unique eco-environment. The different climatic zones all have their distinctive attributes. Soils have been developed by both fluvial action and lithological disintegration. The annual mean maximum and minimum temperatures range from 14.9 C and 8.9 C respectively with an average annual rainfall of 3 92 mm. Darjeeling is one of the most beautiful places in India and considered the Queen of the hills. There are several rivers such as the Tista, Great Rangit, Mechi, Balason, Mahananda, Lish, Gish, Chel, Ramman, Murti and Jaldhaka. Darjeeling is said to comprise six Ts: Tea, Tourism, Teak, Toy train, Tiger Hill, and Trekkers paradise (Desai, 211). Major livelihoods 4 and issues 5 The environment plays a major role in the livelihood and economy in Darjeeling: subsistence agriculture, livestock, forestry, plantations and allied activities are the major activities. Agriculture is greatly impacted by altitude and slopes and, because of the cold, no crops are grown above 9 5 feet asl. Cultivation, therefore, is extremely difficult and needs considerable labour. Bare rocks and steep slopes largely restrict agricultural operations. Figure 13 Map of Darjeeling Broadly, agricultural crops in the Himalayas can be grouped into two categories: food crops and cash crops. Major food crops include rice, maize, potato, wheat, barley, etc. and are described as total miscellaneous crops (TMS) in Figures 16, 17, while cash crops are tea, cinchona, ginger, etc. Usually agriculture is practiced on irrigated terraces called Khet or rainfed terraces Bari. Khets are mostly seen on the lower altitudes (below 1 5 m) for paddy cultivation. Livestock serve as the primary and perhaps the most important source of fertilizer. 4 Source: 5 Source: Desai, M. (211). "Identification and Mapping of Hazard Prone areas regarding landslide in the Darjeeling Hill area." Retrieved May 2nd, 211, from 11

21 Numbers Table 4 Zone 1 showing districts and blocks District under Zone 1 Blocks falling under Zone 1 Darjeeling Pulbazar Gorubathan KalimpongI Darjeeling KalimpongII Kurseong Mirik Rangli Rangliot Sukhiapokhri Jorebunglow Darjeelin g- Pulbazar Zone 1: Persons engaged in agriculture Sukhiapo khri- Jorebung low Rangli Rangliot Kalimpon g-i Kalimpon g-ii Gorubath an Kurseong Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers Mirik Figure 14 Persons engaged in agriculture in different blocks of Zone 1 Forestry is also an important occupation in Darjeeling and about percent of the area is under forest. Many forest-based industries have been inititated and there is huge potential for further development. Largely, tea plantations contribute to local livelihoods. Major issues in the region: Figure 15 Broken highways a) Frequent landslides because of unstable geological structures and tectonic disturbances. b) Presence of very thin soil cover and heavy rainfall causes vulnerability to soil erosion. This aspect is important from the viewpoint of socio economic development of the hills and the people. c) Forest cover is unstable because of the rapid increase in cultivated land (with the exception of tea gardens), expansion of settlements, and construction of roads. The rapid depletion of forest cover is noticeable in the tea plantation area. In most tea gardens in the hills, there are no shade trees along the fringe line of the garden and soil protection is insignificant. d) Rapid expansion of settlements and towns, especially along the roads, is a significant cause of frequent landslides in the hills. Multi-storied buildings, without proper planning, along the roads and on the steeper slopes have increased the load on already deteriorated slopes. 12

22 e) Demand for fuel is another issue; mining of coal layers and illegal felling of young trees to meet the demand for firewood occurs in the hills. f) Population explosion in the hill areas, especially in the urban areas, has been followed by the rapid increase in number of heavy vehicles; continuous horizontal vibration gradually destabilizes unstable slopes and geological formations. g) Domestic and commercial water demand has increased during recent years. Forest clearance and removal of the top layer of soils have resulted in decreasing groundwater level and consequent drying up of the streams during most of the year. Production and productivity of major crops Zone 1: Production of major crops (' tonnes) Rice Wheat Maize Other Cereals Pulses Oil Seeds Jute TMC Figure 16 Production of major food crops in Zone 1 Zone 1: Productivity of major food crops (Kg/ha) Rice Wheat Maize Other Cereals Pulses Oil Seeds Jute TMC Figure 17 Productivity of major crops in Zone 1 13

23 Production Productivity Production and productivity of rice Zone 1: Production pattern of rice Zone 1: Productivity pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro Series Series Figure 18 Production (thousand tonne/ha) and productivity (kg/ha) patterns of rice in different seasons (26-27) ZONE 2 DARJEELING, KOCH BIHAR, UTTAR DINAJPUR AND JALPAIGURI There are four districts in Zone 2 part of Darjeeling, Koch Bihar, Uttar Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri. As the zone covers a major portion of Jalpaiguri it is important to discuss the district Jalpaiguri in detail. The other districts will be explained later in the report. Table 5 Zone 2 districts and blocks Districts under Zone 2 Block falling under the Zone 2 Kharibari DARJILING Matigara Naxalbari Phansidewa Alipurduar I Alipurduar II Dhupguri Falakata Jalpaiguri Kalchini JALPAIGURI Kumargram MadarihatBirpara Mal Maynaguri Metiali Nagrakata Rajganj Haldibari KOCHBIHAR Mekhliganj 14

24 UTTAR DINAJPUR Chopra Islampur Criss-crossed with streams, rivers and hills, the district is primarily rural with over 8 percent of the population residing in rural areas. The district is the gateway to the northeastern states and Bhutan. There is a high migrant population of the different cultural groups (Ranjbanshi, Ravas, Totos, Metch, Santhals, Madasia and Oraons), which has created a unique cultural harmony rarely seen in other districts of West Bengal (NIC-Jalpaiguri, 211). Major livelihood and issues Apart from agriculture and livestock rearing, tea gardens also contribute to the livelihoods in the region. Jalpaiguri is the second highest tea-producing district in the country. The tea estates define not only the economy but also the ethnic composition, employment, livelihood patterns, culture and economic development perspective of the district. Figure 19 Map of Jalpaiguri Table 6 An overview of Jalpaiguri district Particulars Measures Geographical area 6245 km 2 Area under tea garden 1987 km 2 Area under forest land 179 km 2 Average annual rainfall 316 mm Average maximum temperature 3.9 C Average minimum temperature 1.8 C Relative humidity 82% Main crops other than tea Rice and Jute Major rivers Tista, Torsa, Jaldhaka, Raidak, Sankosh. A good percentage of the population belongs to the scheduled cast (SC)/scheduled tribe (ST) and they form the labour for the tea gardens. The tribal labourers are not native to the zone and were brought in from present day Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and settled there by the British. Their ethnic and cultural identity and social systems have been maintained up to the present (District Magistrate, 21). 15

25 Matigara Alipurduar-I Alipurduar-II Dhupguri Falakata Haldibari Jalpaiguri Kalchini Kharibari Kumargram Madarihat- Mal Maynaguri Mekhliganj Metiali Nagrakata Naxalbari Phansidewa Rajganj Chopra Islampur Numbers Zone 2: Persons engaged in agriculture Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers Blocks in Zone 2 Figure 2 People engaged in agriculture in blocks of Zone 2 Major issues in the region: 1. The tea industry went through several fundamental changes and a severe crisis that peaked during the first decade of this century. This manifested as many of sick, locked out and closed tea gardens. After a period of great hardship some gardens became operational, though issues of productivity remained. However, despite all efforts, 12 gardens remained closed and two were abandoned at the beginning of 28 leaving many workers on the verge of hunger. 2. As the tea gardens are reviving, farmers are showing interest in establishing homestead tea gardens; reasons include water scarcity in the dry seasons and lower returns on basic inputs. Intermediaries share a part in this discouraging situation as a most of the (supposed profits) income is wasted by sharing their produce with the itermediaries. This is a hard reality and intermediaries have a strong syndicate that does not allow local farmers to sell their produce directly to the market. 3. Floods during monsoon season the rivers are full of water and rise and fall, often changing their course causing massive damage to forests and agricultural land (Das, 29). 4. Misunderstandings between the Supreme Court and forest communities in 2 the Supreme Court of India issued a ban on removal of dead, diseased, dying or wind-fallen trees, driftwood and grasses, etc. from any national park or Game Sanctuary. In view of this, rights and concessions cannot be enjoyed in the Protected Areas (PAs). There was a wrong interpretation when all activities were banned, including use of forest resources for survival, and livelihoods of forest communities. The court had no other intention apart from stopping destructive actions for commercial profit in the protected forest areas. Lives and livelihoods of forest villagers are threatened as well as the ecosystem and plantation areas, especially in reserved areas where frequent and devastating floods occur with the continuous changing courses of rivers and streams (Das, 29). 5. Political disturbance the area is highly vulnerable to political disturbances; demands for making another state within the state are always present. The poor are the most affected during these disturbances. Production and productivity of major food crops The district is famous for its tea gardens and sanctuaries, the district of Jalpaiguri also grows rice, wheat, maize, a small portion of pulses and oil seeds, jute and other fibrous crops are among the main crops. Potato and tea are covered as TMC in Figures 21,

26 Zone 2: Production of major crops (' tonnes) Rice Wheat Maize Other Cereals Pulses Oil seeds Jute Fibres TMC Figure 21 Production of major crops in the district of Jalpaiguri Zone 2: Productivity of major crops (kg/ha) 26-7) Rice Wheat Maize Other Cereals Pulses Oil seeds Jute Fibres Figure 22 Productivity 6 of major crops in Zone 2 6 Productivity for TMC is not available for period of

27 Production (' tonnes) productivity (kg/ha) Production and productivity of rice Zone 2: Production pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Production Zone 2: Productivity pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Productivity Figure 23 Production and productivity pattern of rice in different seasons in Zone 2 (26-27) As expected, the production of rice is higher in the season of Aman, which is the main Kharif season. Rice production is better than maize and wheat but productivity is lower. Jute production and other fibres do well in this district. There are also tea gardens so people are inclined towards tea production. When farmers production/returns are low they shift to tea production, which provides them a minimum monthly income during the top season. This is not possible with conventional agriculture. The local economy economy is also influenced by vegetable production such as potatoes and some chilli. ZONE 2A KOCH BIHAR Zone 2a, Koch Bihar covers km 2 and contributes 3.82 percent to the total land mass of the State of West Bengal. Koch Bihar is under the Jalpaiguri Division, located in the northeastern part of the state, surrounded by the districts of Jalpaiguri in the north, state of Assam in the east and the international Indo- Bangladesh boundary in the south and west (NIC-KochBihar, 211). Table 7 Zone 2a districts and blocks Districts under Zone 2a KOCH BIHAR Blocks falling under the Zone 2a Coochbehar I Coochbehar II Dinhata I Dinhata II Mathabhanga I Mathabhanga II Sitai Sitalkuchi Tufanganj I Tufanganj II 18

28 Table 8 Overview of district Koch Bihar Particulars Measures Geographical area 3387 km 2 Area under agriculture km 2 1. Net Area for cultivation 246,491 ha 2. Cropping intensity 215 % 3. Single cropped area 24,9 ha 4. Double cropped area 1,41,491 ha 5. Triple cropped area 8,1 ha 6. Irrigated area 35% Area under forest land km 2 Average annual rainfall mm Maximum temperature 39.9 C Minimum temperature 3.9 C Relative humidity Highly humid (except Feb to May 5-7%) Main crops Rice, vegetables, wheat, tobacco, chili, maize and pulses Major rivers Tista, Torsa, Jaldhaka, Raidak, Kaljani, Sankosh and Gadadhar systems etc. Almost 85-9 percent of the total population depends on agriculture. In spite of poor soil conditions, acidity and lack of irrigation facilities, production and productivity of different crops meet increasing demand. Part of the contribution comes from adoption of improved technologies, inclusion of high-yielding and hybrid varieties of seeds and a series of government schemes such as ATMA, National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), etc. (NIC-KochBihar, 211). Major livlihoods and issues 7 A favourable climate helps rural Koch Behar contribute to major livelihoods such as agriculture, and the supply of fruit and vegetables to the town. The poorer sections of this semi-rural society are also involved in transport, basic agriculture, livestock rearing, small shops, and as manual labour in construction. Koch Behar is largely an agricultural zone where more than 7 percent of the total available land is used for cultivation. Only 35 percent of the total cultivable area receives irrigation (NIC-KochBihar, 211). This situation places agriculture in a position of risk as it is dependent on monsoon rainfall, which from the viewpoint of development is an unfavorable situation. 7 Source: 19

29 Numbers Major social and developmental challenges: 1) Lack of irrigation facilities 8 Koch Behar is an irrigation deficient district. There are no major irrigation schemes in the district; about 35 percent of Figure 24 Map of Koch Bihar the cultivable area is under irrigation. There is a little possibility that the Teesta irrigation canals will benefit the district because of the topography. The district has a large numbers of perennial rivers, khals, beels, and water bodies. These resources are being utilized as a source of surface irrigation through a number of RLI and mini RLI schemes in the region. However, most of these RLI are often unused or underused because of yearly flooding, meandering and heavy siltation of the rivers. Groundwater potential in the district is very high. Pump-operated shallow tube wells are the most viable and popular irrigation scheme among the farmers of this district. Zone 2a: Persons engaged in agriculture Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers Blocks in Zone 2a Figure 25 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 2a 2) Unemployment although the government has made several efforts through several schemes such as Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yogna (SGSY) and Prime Minister s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) to overcome unemployment in the region, migration to cities for employment is increasing. 3) Cross-border trafficking and domestic trafficking are serious issues. 4) The reion is failing to fuffill energy needs because of improper implementation of energy schemes. 5) Gender bias and violence against women the sex ratio is low only 949 women per 1 men. 6) Rate of school dropouts have increased. 7) Condition of health facilities in the rural areas of the district is very poor. 8 Source of text is the official website for the district of Cooch Behar ( 2

30 Production in thousand tonnes Productivity in kg/ha Production and productivity of major food crops Zone 2a: Production pattern of major food crops (' tonnes) Rice Wheat Maize Other Cereals Pulses Oil seeds Jute Fibres TMC Figure 26 Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 2a Zone 2a: Productivity (kg/ha) pattern of major food crops (26-7) Rice Wheat Maize Other Cereals Pulses Oil seeds Jute Fibres TMC Figure 27 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 2a PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY PATTERN OF RICE Zone 2a: Production pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Production Zone 2a: Productivity pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Productivity Figure 28 Production and productivity pattern of rice in Zone 2a in different seasons (26-27) 21

31 ZONE 3 DAKSHIN DINAJPUR, MALDAH, MURSHIDABAD AND UTTAR DINAJPUR There are four districts in Zone 3 Dakshin Dinajpur, Maldah, Murshidabad and Uttar Dinajpur. Uttar Dinajpur 9 With two sub-divisions Raiganj and Islampur, there are four municipalities, 9 blocks and 98 panchayets covering villages in the district of Uttar Dinajpur. The total population is nearly 2.5 million comprising a mainly rural population. Bengali is the main language, but a sizeable portion of Urdu and Hindi-speaking people also live in Islampur subdivision. The climate is characterized by hot summer with high humidity, abundant rainfall and cold winters (NIC-UttarDinajpur, 23). The district forms a part of the basin lying between Rajmahal hills on the east. The older alluvium is estimated to be Pleistocene age. Uttar Dinajpur has very fertile soil, because of alluvial deposition, which helps grow paddy, jute, mesta, sugar cane, etc. Figure 29 Map of Uttar Dinajpur Raiganj on the bank of the River Kulik is the district headquarters of Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary, which is the second largest bird sanctuary in Asia. Table 9 Overview of district Uttar Dinajpur Particular Measure Geographical area (ha) 3138 Villages (numbers) 1516 Population (numbers) Male: Female (%) 51:49 No. of families depending on agriculture 2395 No. of persons depending on agriculture No. of small cultivators No. of marginal cultivators Forest area (acres) Uttar Dinajpur is a newly constructed district, formed in 1992 and is primarily agricultural. Diverse and surplus production of crops such as tea, jute, potato, ginger, spices and pineapple, etc. make the district a strong base for agro- and horticulture-based industries such as: a) Potato chips from potato b) Ketchup, sauce from tomato c) Jelly, jam from guava, mango, pineapple d) Packed juices from orange, pineapple, mango, guava, and jackfruit e) Ginger oil, ginger finger, slices. f) Pickle from mango, etc. g) Papain from papaya 9 Source of information: 22

32 h) Spice powder from chili, turmeric Table 1 Zone 3 with its districts and blocks Districts DAKSHIN DINAJPUR MALDAH MURSHIDABAD UTTAR DINAJPUR Blocks Balurghat Banshihari Gangarampur Harirampur Hili Kumarganj Kushmandi Tapan Bamongola ChanchalI ChanchalII Gazole Habibpur HarishchandrapurI HarishchandrapurII Old Malda RatuaI RatuaII Behrampore BeldangaI BeldangaII BharatpurI BharatpurII Burwan Domkal Farakka Hariharpara Jalangi Kandi Khargram Lalgola Nabagram Nowda RaghunathganjI RaghunathganjII Sagardighi Samserganj SutiI SutiII GoalpokharI GoalpokharII Hemtabad Itahar Kaliaganj Karandighi 23

33 Raiganj Dakshin Dinajpur Brief history West Dinajpur district was created out of Dinajpur district in 1947 when India was partitioned. The rest of Dinajpur district is now in Bangladesh. The West Dinajpur district was enlarged in 1956 at the time of reorganization of the State with the addition of some areas of Bihar. The district was split into Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur on 1 April Balurghat subdivision along with Banshihari and Kushmandi blocks (which were in Raigunj subdivision prior to bifurcation) comprise the new district. Figure 3 Map of Dakshin Dinajpur The district is drained by a number of north-south flowing rivers such as Atrayee, Punarbhava, Tangon and Brahmani. The district is predominantly agricultural with large areas under cultivation. Dakshin Dinajpur is without large-scale industry. The first medium-scale industry sector was initiated in November 23. Transport and communication facilities are un satisfactory. A new railway line has been laid between Eklakhi and Balurghat, the district headquarters. Train services were begun 3 December 24. There is one state highway, only 3 km of National Highway is within the district. Bengali is the principal language and the main communities are Hindus and Muslims who the major portion of the population. Table 11 Overview of Dakshin Dinajpur Particular Measure Geographical area (ha) 2,21,48 Population 15,3,178 Area available for cultivation (ha) Fallow land (ha) 1.24 Land not available for cultivation (ha) Cropping intensity 183% Area under high yielding variety seed (paddy) (ha) Rivers Atrayee, Tangon, Punarbhava, Ichamati, Brahmani. 24

34 Goalpokhar-I Goalpokhar-II Hemtabad Itahar Kaliaganj Karandighi Kushmandi Raiganj Banshihari Harirampur Gangarampur Balurghat Bamongola Behrampore Beldanga-I Beldanga-II Bharatpur-I Bharatpur-II Burwan Chanchal-I Chanchal-II Domkal Farakka Gazole Habibpur Hariharpara Harishchandrapur-I Harishchandrapur-II Hili Jalangi Kandi Khargram Kumarganj Lalgola Nabagram Nowda Old Malda Raghunathganj-I Raghunathganj-II Ratua-I Ratua-II Sagardighi Samserganj Suti-I Suti-II Tapan Persons 25 Zone 3: Persons engaged in agriculture Bargadars Small farmers* Marginal farmers* Blocks Figure 31 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 3 25

35 Maldah The gateway of North Bengal, Malda, was once the capital of Gour-Banga and covers km 2. The land is classified into Tal, Diara, and Barind. It is an area of archeological interest (NIC- Malda 21). During the eighteenth century the district was known for its prosperous cotton and silk industries. Constituted as a municipality in 1867, rice, jute, legumes and oilseeds are among the main crops. Mulberry plantations and mango orchards occupy large areas; the mango trade and silk manufacture are the main economic activities (Natura Beyond, 211). Table 12 Overview of District Maldah Particular Figure 32 Map of Maldah Measure Geographical Area (ha) 3733 No. of Villages 371 Total Population of the District Normal Rainfall 1453 mm Forest (ha) Current Fallow Land (ha) 528 Other Fallow land that Current Fallow (ha) 3 Net Area under Cultivation (ha) Marginal Holding (below 1. acre) Small Holding (1.-2. acre) Medium Holding (4.-1.acre) Large Holding (1. acres and above) Vested land distributed Area Irrigated Electricity consumption (' KWH) ; Area ha 74863; Area ha 7528; Area ha 12; Area-1232 ha ha 1267 ha a) Domestic 7756 b) Commercial c) Industrial d) Public Lighting 598 e) Agri-irrigation & Dewatering f) Public water works & Sewerage Pump

36 Major livelihoods and issues Zone 3 may be considered a challenged zone; more than 5 percent of the population are small-scale farmers and percent are landless (IRRI, 211). The local economy is dependent on agriculture and small-scale industries. Main constraints to the economy are poor market service, poor access to farm mechanization and increasing population. Major social and development challenges: 1. Recurring erosion, floods and droughts the River Ganga can destroy land, lives and homes on a mass scale in every flood season. Short-term measures such as building spurs or attempting to reduce velocity are impractical; the central channel must be dredged regularly according to an executive engineer, from the irrigation department in Maldah (Chattopadhyay, 23). The damage occurring from floods affects: agricultural crops; all Kaccha (made by mud) house; sources of drinking water; poultry and livestock; buildings of any type; and all types of communication. Figure 33 Eroded embankment resulting from flooded Ganga 2. Floods facilitate outbreaks of many diseases such as dehydration, dysentery, influenza, skin disease. 3. Scarcity of drinking water and contamination of water with iron and fluoride is a serious problem in certain parts of the district of Maldah. 4. Lack of permanent garbage-dumping grounds and drainage systems may lead to unhygienic conditions for the urban and rural populations (Sarkar 211). 5. Uttar Dinajpur is among the least developed districts in West Bengal and India. With a high level of illiteracy, low health care and livelihood access and widespread rural poverty increases vulnerability. 6. Rapid population growth restricts the inclusion of new rural workers into farm-based employment. On the other hand, low level of urbanization constrains the growth of the non-farm sector. 7. Social and economic development of communities pertaining to a specific religion is also at stake. This is not only because of poor implementation of government schemes but also because of the lack of awareness within the community. For example Muslim communities in Zone 3 have a high population with incidence of child labour and migration. (Voice of Bharat, 211). 8. Contamination of drinking water with arsenic and decreasing groundwater table is of great concern. 27

37 kg/ha Production and productivity of major food crops Zone 3: Production pattern of major crops (' tonnes) 26-7 Rice Wheat Barley Maize Other Cereals Gram Pulses Oil seeds Jute Mesta TMC Figure 34 Production pattern of major crops in Zone 3 Uttar Dinajpur Dakshin Dinajpur Maldah Zone 3: Productivity (kg/ha) pattern of major crops Maldah Dakshin dinajpur Uttardinajpur Figure 35 Productivity pattern of major crops 28

38 ' tonnes Production and productivity of rice Zone 3: Production pattern of Rice Aus Aman Boro Seasons Uttardinajpur Dakshin dinajpur Maldah Figure 36 Production pattern of rice in Zone 3 in three different seasons (26-27) Zone 3: Productivity pattern of Rice Aus Aman Boro 3825 Uttardinajpur Dakshin dinajpur Maldah Figure 37 Productivity pattern of rice in zone 3 in three different seasons (26-27) Zone 2a and Zone 3 are similar in that the productivity of rice is much higher during the Boro season from January to April, than the main Aman from July to end of December. This is remarkable because water scarcity is similar in comparison to the previous season. West Bengal has poor production of oil seeds; oil seeds as cash crop attract less attention than tea, which is an important point of information. Production of jute is comparable to rice, which is a similar trend for all livelihood zones. Tea and vegetable productivity are in first place; the situation needs deeper analysis at the block level, as production of different crops varies more at the block level than at the district level. Mostly the question arises concerning the better productivity during the Boro season in all zones. In spite of this much better productivity farmers are not producing enough in the Boro season because there is little or no water at this time. The need for AWM is most in places where production of staple food crops is lowest during Boro, this means that production needs to be tracked in all zones. If the area of lower rice production during the Boro season can be determined, then the most vulnerable areas in terms of food production in lean seasons can be tracked. AWM intervention would be most effective in places where water is not available in the Boro season. Aman is the monsoon season and crops can be irrigated with or without groundwater. The only time water is required is during the Boro season when investment would be better placed. 29

39 Numbers ZONE 4 MALDAH Zone 4 is mainly four blocks of the district of Maldah, which has already been described under Zone 3. Table 12 Zone 4 districts and blocks Districts under Zone 4 Blocks falling under Zone 4 English Bazar MALDAH Kaliachak I Kaliachak II Manikchak Zone 4: Persons engaged in agriculture English Bazar Kaliachak-I Kaliachak-II Manikchak Blocks Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers Figure 38 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 4 Production and productivity of major crops Zone 4: Production pattern (' tonnes) of major crops Rice Wheat Barley Maize Gram Pulses Oil seeds Jute Mesta TMC Figure 39 Production pattern of major crops in Zone 4 (26-27) 3

40 Production in thousand tonnes Productivity in kg/ha Zone 4: Productivity (kg/ha) pattern of major crops (26-7) Rice Wheat Barley Maize Gram Pulses Oil seeds Jute Mesta TMC Figure 4 Productivity pattern of major crops in Zone 4 Production and productivity of rice Zone 4: Production pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Production Zone 4: Productivity pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Productivity Figure 41 Production and productivity pattern of rice in three different seasons in Zone 4 The main issues are: 1. The zone is comprised of mainly low-lying plains, sloping towards the south with undulating areas on the northeast. Old alluvial and relatively unfertile soil, is commonly known as Barind, which is good for mulburry plantations for the production of raw silk. As it is a low-lying area it is vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season. 2. The block of Manik Chak is vulnerable to heavy soil erosion because of regular floods in the Ganga river, which can cause disstruptions to the silk industry. 3. Kalia Chak, where goat rearing is a viable livelihood activity can be severaly affected by water contamination. 4. Since the tribal population in the zone is quite high, development of the zone mainly depends on the development of the tribal population. Lack of awareness of different issues among the tribal communities has resulted in poor management of natural water resources.. 5. The maximum precipitation occurs from June to September. Lack of proper water-harvesting structures means that local communites are vulnerable to drought during summer. 31

41 6. In the Barind areas where the ground is high and agriculture is the sole occupation, the tendency is that people remain in small hamlets. This tendency towards individuality leads towards a disorganized society and there is an incapacity for major economic activities. ZONE 5 MALDAH AND MURSHIDABAD There are two districts in Zone 5 Maldah, only one block, and Murshidabad. Most of the zone is covered by the district Murshidabad; which will be described later in the document. Table 13 Zone 5 districts and blocks Districts under Zone 5 Blocks falling under Zone 5 MALDAH Kaliachak III MURSHIDABAD Bhagwangola I Bhagwangola II Msd Jiaganj Raninagar I Raninagar II Murshidabad 1 As with other parts of West Bengal, there has been inter-racial mixing in the local communities; people from other parts of India have settled in the area. Figure 42 Map of Murshidabad The River Bhagirathi has divided the triangle-shaped district into two broad geographical regions: Rarha area (west of Bhagirathi) and Bagri area (east of Bhagirathi). Both areas are almost equal in size, but are strikingly different in their geology, agricultural, habitation pattern and religions. It seems difficult to believe that tigers, rhinoceroses, and wild buffaloes used to roam in the area until the mid-nineteenth century. Leopards and wild boars were found even much later. Currently, the only wild animals found are a few jackals and the abundant black-faced monkey, which are a common site even in Berhampur Town. Although there is no forest coverage, there are many water bodies such as rivers, canals, lakes and ponds and an abundance of trees and shrubs. Therefore, birds of many species, including migratory birds, are quite common. The eastern half of the district may be described as an isosceles triangle. The Ganga (Padma) and the Bhagirathi forms the two equal sides; the River Jalangi forms almost the entire base. However, the line of drainage is not along any of these rivers. During flooding the two great rivers converge and make their way in a southeastern direction. 1 Source: 32

42 Numbers Table 14 Overview of district Murshidabad Particular Measures Geographical area 5324 Km 2 Population a) Rural population b) Urban population Forest area (ha) 771 Agriculture area (ha) Irrigated area (ha) Annual mean temperature 27 C Annual rainfall 16 mm MAJOR LIVELIHOODS AND ISSUES CONCERNED Murshidabad has a tropical wet-and-dry climate. Summers are hot and humid with temperatures < 3 C and, during dry spells, the maximum temperatures often exceed 4 C during May and June. Winter tends to last for 2.5 months; making the place favorable for the production of silk and extensive mulberry cultivation is carried out in western Murshidabad. The district is also known for the quality and diversity of mango produced, however, mango is not a major produce in Murshidabad district, unlike the adjoining district of Malda. People are mostly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. The main crops include rice, jute, legumes, oilseed, wheat and barley. There are some silk farms and weaving machines, but they are losing out against modern industries. Murshidabad is famous for the high quality silk produced. 14 Zone 5: Persons engaged in agriculture Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers Blocks Figure 43 Number of persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 5 33

43 PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MAJOR FOOD CROPS Zone 5: Production pattern of major crops (' tonnes) 26-7 Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC Maldah Murshidabad Figure 44 Production pattern of major crops in Zone 5 7 Zone 5: Productivity (kg/ha) pattern of major crops Maldah Murshidabad 1 Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC Figure 45 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 5 PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RICE Zone 5: Production pattern in Rice Zone 5: Productivity pattern in Rice Murshidabad Maldah Murshidabad Maldah Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro Figure 46 Production and productivity patterns of rice in three different seasons in Zone 5 34

44 ZONE 6 PARTS OF BANKURA, BARDHAMAN AND BIRBHUM Zone 6 comprises a few blocks from district Bankura, Bardhaman and Birbhum. Table 15 Zone 6 with its districts and blocks Districts under Zone 6 Blocks falling under Zone 6 Barjora BANKURA G. Ghati Mejia Andal Ausgram II Barabani Faridpur Durgapur BARDHAMAN Galsi I Jamuria Kanksa Pandabeswar Raniganj Salanpur Khoyrasole Md.Bazar Murarai II BIRBHUM Nalhati I Rajnagar Rampurhat I Suri I Birbhium 11 Shaped like an isosceles triangle, the district covers an area of km 2. The district is well drained by a number of rivers and rivulets with a slight southward inclination. The climate is generally dry, mild and healthy; on the western side it is dry and extreme, but is relatively milder on the eastern side. The rainfall is higher in the western areas as compared to the eastern. The eastern portion of the district is a continuation of the rice plain of West Bengal, and the vegetation is characteristic of rice fields in Bengal. Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district with around 75 percent of the population dependent on agriculture. The principal industries include cotton, silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, stone mining and the manufacture of metalware and pottery. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the only heavy industry in the district. Figure 47 Map of Birbhum 11 Source: 35

45 Salanpur Ausgram-II Barjora G. Ghati Galsi-II Jamalpur Kalna-I Kanksa Katwa-II Ketugram-II Khoyrasole Mayureswar-I Md.Bazar Memari-I Mongalkote Murarai-I Nalhati-I Nanoor Purbasthali-I Raina-I Rajnagar Rampurhat-II Sainthia Suri-II Numbers Table 16 Overview of district Birbhum 12 Particular Measure Population 3,15,422 a) Rural 2,757,2 (91.43%) b) Urban 258,42 (8.57%) Forest area Km2 Agriculture area Km2 Major crops Rice, legumes, wheat, maize, potatoes and sugar cane. Irrigated area Km2 Total inhabited villages 2259 a) Villages with safe drinking water 2234 b) Villages with electricity (domestic) 1,65 Rivers Ajay, Mayurakshi (Mor), Kopai, Bakreshwar, Brahmani, Dwarka, Hinglo, Chapala, Bansloi, Pagla. 25 Zone 6: Persons engaged in agriculture Bargadars Small farmers* Marginal farmers* Blocks Figure 48 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 6 12 Source: 36

46 Bardhamann 13 Is a town of tanks that are scattered here and there across the town. The district forms the boundary with Dumka (Jharkhand), Birbhum and Murshidabad to the north Nadia in the east, Hooghly, Bankura and Purulia to the south and Dhanbad (Jharkhand) in the west. The river Barakar forms the state boundary to the west; the Ajay separates Birbhum and Dumka to the north, with exception of a portion of Katwa subdivision; the Damodar forms a southern boundary with Purulia and Bankura, while Bhagirathi forms the main eastern boundary with a few exceptions. Figure 49 Map of Bardhman The maximum length from east to west is 28 km, maximum width from north to south is 112 km. The shape of the district resembles a hammer. Forest the forest areas are chiefly situated in the lateritic and red soil high lands in the Aushgram PS of Sadar subdivision and in the Asansol subdivision. In Aushgram PS the forest areas are interspersed with paddy fields. The Durgapur forests are continued in the Birbhum district beyond the Ajay, while the forest area in the Asansol subdivision forms a part of the forest area of Dumka district of Jharkhand. Table 17 Overview of district Bardhhaman Particular Measure Geographical area 724 Km 2 Population a) Rural 63.6% b) Urban % Rainfall 1442 mm Temperature 43 C (Max) - 5 C (Min) Forest area 2227 ha Agriculture area ha a) Net cropped area ha b) New irrigated area ha Major rivers Damodar, Bhagirathi, Barakar, Ajay, Dwarakeswar, Nonia MAJOR LIVELIHOODS AND ISSUES Birbhum the region is a dual blend of rolling plateau made up of laterite and Gangetic alluvial plains, which is highly conducive to cultivation. Hence the economy of the district is entirely based on agriculture (Indianetzone, 28). The dry season in Birbhum is highly adverse to agriculture. Except for the monsoon the dry weather prevails throughout the year. Apart from this, most of the land is dry and the rivers are only rainfed, meaning that agriculture is supported neither by rain nor by rivers. The Government has, therefore, undertaken irrigation projects such as the Mayurakshi River Project and Hinglow River Projects to promote agricultural development in the region. Birbhum is a major center for cottage industries; the most notable being is a non-profit rural organization named Amar Kutir. Other main industries in Birbhum are agriculture-based industries, textiles, forestry, arts and crafts. Sriniketan is noted for its dairy industry and as a forestry centre. Some of the notable forms of cottage industries include textile especially cotton and locally harvested tussar silk, jute works, batik, 13 Source: 37

47 kantha stitch, macramé (weaving by knotting threads), leather, pottery and terracotta, solapith, woodcarving, bamboo and cane craft, metal works and various tribal crafts. There are small- and medium-scale industries. Principal industries of the district include cotton and silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, and the manufacture of metalware and pottery. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the only heavy industry in the district Bardhaman Bardhaman is the only district in the state of West Bengal that has both industry and agriculture. Several iron and steel companies are located in the district. On average, about 58 percent of the population belongs to the agriculture sector, while the nonagricultural sector accounts for the remaining 42 percent (NIC-Bardhaman 211). Rice and oilseed milling and hosiery, cutlery, and tool manufacturing are the chief industries. The eastern part of the district is a low alluvial plain, densely populated and often waterlogged and swampy. The western region is one of the busiest industrial tracts in West Bengal, with rich coal, fireclay, and iron-ore Figure 5 Population growth in Bardhaman deposits, especially in the Raniganj coalfield area. The Damodar Valley Corporation provides irrigation, industrial power supply, and flood control. Rice, corn (maize), legumes, and oilseeds are the chief crops in the east. Major social and developmental challenges include population growth, poor rural development and lack of proper infrastructure. Production and productivity of major food crops 4 Zone 6: Production pattern of major food crops (' tonnes) Birbhum Bardhaman Rice Wheat Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC Figure 51 Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 6 14 Source: 15 Source: 38

48 Zone 6: Productivity pattern (kg/ha) of major food crops Birbhum Bardhaman Rice Wheat Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC Figure 52 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zone 6 Production and productivity of rice Zone 6: Production pattern of Rice Zone 6: Productivity pattern of Rice Bardhaman Birbhum Bardhaman Birbhum Aus Aman Boro Aus Aman Boro Figure 53 Production and productivity patter of rice in three different seasons in Zone 6 39

49 ZONE 7 BANKURA, BARDHAMAN, HAORA, HUGLI, NADIA, NORTH 24 PARGANAS, PASCHIM MEDINIPUR, PURBA MEDINIPUR, SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Table 18 District 7 districts and blocks Districts under Zone 7 Blocks falling under Zone 7 BANKURA Bishnupur, Indus, Joypur, Kotulpur, Patrasayer, Sonamukhi Bhatar, Burdwan I, Burdwan II, Galsi II, Jamalpur, Kalna I, Kalna II, Katwa I, BARDHAMAN Katwa II, Ketugram II, Khandaghosh, Memari I, Memari II, Monteswar, Purbasthali I, Purbasthali II, Raina I, Raina II HAORA Amta I, Amta II, Bagnan I, Bagnan II, Jagatballavpur, Pandhla, Shyampur I, Udaynarayanpur, Uluberia I, Uluberia II HUGLI Arambagh, Balagarh, Dhaniakhali, Goghat I, Goghat II, Haripal, Jangipara, Khanakul I, Khanakul II, Pandua, Pursurah, Tarakeswar Chakdaha, Chapra, Hanskhali, Kaliganj, Karimpur I, Karimpur II, Krishnaganj, NADIA Krishnanagar I, Krishnanagar II, Nabadwip, Nakashipara, Ranaghat II, Ranaghat I, Santipur, Tehatta I, Tehatta II, NORTH 24 PARGANAS Baduria, Bagdah, Bongaon, Gaighata, Habra I, Swarupnagar PASCHIM MEDINIPUR PURBA MEDINIPUR SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Chandrakona I, Chandrakona II, Dantan I, Dantan II, Daspur I, Daspur II, Debra, Garbeta I, Garbeta II, Ghatal, Keshpur, Kharagpur II, Mohanpur, Narayangarh, Pingla, Sabong Bhagawanpur I, Bhagwanpur II, Chandipur (Nandigram III), Egra I, Egra II, Kolaghat (Panskura II), Mahishadal, Moyna, Nandakumar, Panskura I, Potashpur I, Potashpur II, Sahid Matangini, Tamluk Budge Budge I, Budge Budge II, Diamond Harbour II, Falta Nadia Figure 54 Map of Nadia Table 19 Overview of district Nadia Particular Measure Geographical area 3927 Km 2 Population a) Rural 36,25,38 b) Urban 9,79,519 Cultivated agricultural area ha Total Forest Area 1249 ha a) Reserved area for utilization in future 51 ha b) Reserved Forest Area 32 ha c) Area under Social Forestry 64 ha 4

50 Hooghli The district is completely flat land with no more than an elevation of 2 m anywhere in the area. The region s major rivers are the Hooghly and Damodar. Hooghly is one of the most economically developed districts in West Bengal. It is also the main jute cultivation, jute industry, and jute trade hub with jute mills being mainly located along the riverbanks of Hooghly. There are also a number of industrial complexes including one of the largest car manufacturing plants in India 'Hindustan Motors'. Figure 55 Map of Hooghly From prehistoric times the district of Hooghly has offered a rich cultural heritage. The region of Hooghly existed even when there was no separate state called West Bengal, inhabited by several generations over the years the district has inherited a diversified cultural heritage. Howrah Howrah, the second largest city of West Bengal lies along the west bank of the Hooghly river and is one of the main administrative districts in the state. With a population of over 1 million, Howrah draws its economy chiefly from industries and only 3 percent of the total population is engaged in cultivation. East Medinipur 16 With roughly 4 6 km 2, east Medinipur is one of the 18 administrative districts of West Bengal. The total population of the district is 4.5 million and is comprised of four subdivisions Tamluk, Haldia, Egra and Contai. Figure 56 Map of Howrah The district has an excellent transport and communication network of national highways and railways. A major existing industrial base at Haldia and Kolaghat, availability of skilled labour at comparatively lower rates, abundance of electric power and a business environment conducive to industrial growth, both on the labour and political fronts, which is positive for promotion and development of micro and small medium enterprises (MSME) in this district. Aquaculture and shrimp farming has been taken up in a big way in the coastal belt, and floriculture and horticultural activities are concentrated in a major portion of Tamluk subdivision. In Haldia a large number of heavy engineering, chemical, and small-scale clusters are growing. Similarly, in Contai, Egra, Digha, Tamluk, Mahishadal and Kolaghat a large number of small-scale Industries are spread throughout. Handloom-weaving is a traditional industry in this district and a considerable number of people are engaged in this activity. Figure 57 Map of East Medinipur 16 Source: 41

51 West Midnapur 17 West Medinipur district has been carved out from the district of Midnapore, which came into existence on the 1st January 22. It has a total geographical area of km2 and a population of as per the 21 census. The district is primarily agricultural, with cultivation being the chief livelihood of a majority of the people. Paddy occupies the first place in production. The district has a suitable agro-climatic for the cultivation of mulberry and horticulture crops such as mango, banana, guava, lemon, orange, papaya, cashew and jackfruit. The district is well known for the production of mulberry and tussar silks, and silk saris from Midnapore are much in demand. Kharagpur, an important junction of the South-Eastern Railway, is located centrally in the district, which connects the district to all parts of the country for passengers as well as goods. Figure 58 Map of West Medinipur North 24 Paraganas North 24 Parganas is West Bengal s most populous district. It is also the tenth largest district in the State by area and second most densely populated district in the country. The district lies within the Ganges- Brahmaputra delta. The River Ganges flows along the entire west border of the district. There are many other rivers, which include the Ichhamati, Jamuna, and Bidyadhari. North 24 Parganas is one of nine (including Kolkata) severely arsenic-affected districts in West Bengal. The climate is tropical, like the rest of the Gangetic West Bengal. The monsoon lasts from early June to mid-september. The weather remains dry during the winter (mid-november to mid-february) and humid during summer. Figure 58 North 24 Parganas Folk culture is one of the main traditions of West Bengal. The District of North 24-Parganas is proud of its folk culture such as Jhumur, Kabigan, Tarjagan, Manasha vasan, Rayani, Austakgan, Banabibir Pala, Tusu, Patar Bashi Bhatiyali, etc. These various forms of folk culture have already reached people throughout West Bengal as well as India. 17 Source: 42

52 Table 2 Overview of district North 24 Parganas Description Particulars Population 8,93,295 Geographical area 494 Km 2 Cultivable Area 2,71,845 ha Net cropped Area 2,64,952 ha Net area irrigated 1,67,128 ha Forest Land 4,221 ha Rainfall 1,579mm(Normal) Temperature 41 C in May (Max) and 1 C in January (Min) Relative Humidity 5% (March) - 9% ( July) Net Water Area 73,916 ha Area under Pisciculture 36,322 ha Bankura 18 An overwhelming agro-economic base and low urbanization and industrialization characterize the economy of the district of Bankura. The district is broadly divided into two regions: the alluvial plains in the east and the undulating tract to the west. Within the district, and even within these regions, villages vary in their geographical features and in their physical forms and composition of economic and social life. Agriculture forms the prime contributor to the economy. The net cultivable area is 43 million ha, and about 46 percent of the net-cropped area is under irrigation. Mines and minerals play a vital role in the economy. Mines and minerals-based ventures have been established on the stretch of land from Bankura to Saltora. Certain areas in the region have been setting up agriculture-based industries such as rice and oil mills. Cottage and small-scale industries, which form a major segment of the district`s economy. Besides agriculture, these industries provide maximum employment opportunities and account for nearly 9 percent of the district income. The forests produce various medicinal flora and fauna that are routinely exported to neighbouring districts and outside the state. Figure 59 Map of Bankura 18 Source: 43

53 Production and productivity pattern of major food crops Zone 7: Production pattern of major food crops (' tonnes) 26-7 Bardhaman Bankura Birbhum West Midnapur East Midnapur Nadia Hoogly Howrah North 24 Parganas Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC Figure 6 Production pattern of major food crops in Zone 7 As seen in Figure 66 the trend in rice, jute and tea production is more or less similar for all livelihood zones in West Bengal. The two districts of Bardhman and Nadia are quite opposite in the production of rice and tea. Tea here is registered as TMC, which includes vegetable production. The production of rice is equivalent to production of TMC in Nadia district and tea and other vegetable crops are cash crops. West Midnapur also has good rice production in the main season, i.e. Aman, but it lags behind Bardhman for total production of rice for the entire year. There is low availability of water in the Boro season in West Bengal, and west Midnapur is no exception in this regard. The main season requiring water the most is Boro; when there is very little to no rain and all waterharvesting structures are dried by the end of the first weeks of April, literally no water is left in the waterharvesting tanks. All rivers are already dried by the end of March, so it is the most difficult time for farmers to collect water for agriculture. The only source of water during the dry season is groundwater; which will be discussed in the chapter on solutions. AWM relies on the use of available groundwater for agriculture and several methods have been proposed for using this water, including low-cost pumps. Validation of methods needs to be carried out so as not put agriculture at risk in the long term and to ensure the farmer higher output from the same field. 44

54 Amta-I Baduria Bagnan-II Bhagawanpur-II Budge-Budge-I Chandipur (Nandigram-III) Chapra Daspur-I Dhaniakhali Egra-II Garbeta-I Goghat-I Hanskhali Jagatballavpur Kaliganj Keshpur Kharagpur-II Krishnaganj Mahishadal Nabadwip Narayangarh Panskura-I Potashpur-I Ranaghat -I Sahid Matangini Shyampur-II Tamluk Tehatta-II Uluberia-II Burdwan-II Kalna-I Katwa-II Memari-I Purbasthali-I Raina-II Numbers 7 Zone 7: Persons engaged in agriculture Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers Blocks Figure 61 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 7 45

55 Bardhaman Bankura Birbhum West Midnapur East Midnapur Nadia Hoogly Howrah North 24 Bardhaman Bankura Birbhum West Midnapur East Midnapur Nadia Hoogly Howrah North 24 Zone 7: Prodctivity pattern of major food crops (kg/ha) Rice Wheat Maize Pulses Oil seeds Jute TMC Figure 62 Productivity pattern of major food crops in Zones 7 Production and productivity pattern of rice Zone 7: Production pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Zone 7: Productivity pattern of rice Aus Aman Boro Figure 63 Production and productivity pattern of rice in zones 7 and 7a 46

56 Numbers ZONE 7A BARDHAMAN AND BIRBHUM Zone 7a typically consists of a few blocks of the districts Bardhaman and Birbhum. Major livelihood activities have already been discussed under Zone 7. Districts under Zone 7a BARDHAMAN BIRBHUM Blocks falling under Zone 7a Ausgram I Ketugram I Mongalkote Bolpur Sriniketan Dubrajpur Illambazar Labhpur Mayureswar I Mayureswar II Murarai I Nalhati II Nanoor Rampurhat II Sainthia Suri II Zone 7a: Persons engaged in agriculture Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers Blocks Figure 64 Persons engaged in agricultuer in Zone 7a 47

57 Zone 7a has the following characteristics: 1. Zone is a mix of uneven lateritic territory and alluvial flood plains. 2. There has been a regular increase in the occurance of droughts putting the local economy at risk. 3. This zone is close to the main agriculture area of the district Bardhaman, which is also called the Rice Bowl, however there is far less production of rice and other agriculture crops. 4. Lack of proper water-harvesting structures in the zone results in low surface runoff, causing reduction in the groundwater. Lower groundwater level prevents small and marginal farmers from obtaining enough water. There have been cases of farmers committing suicide as a result of corp failures in the zone. ZONE 8 BANKURA, WEST MEDINIPUR AND PURULIA DISTRICTS This zone belongs to undulating Lateritic region and is under the agro-climatic subdivisions of West Bengal comprising Bankura, West Medinipur and Purulia districts. Table22 Zone 8 districts and blocks Districts Blocks falling under Zone 8 Bankura Bankura I, Bankura II, Chhatna, Hirbandh, Indpur, Onda, Saltora, Sarenga, Simlapal, Taldangra West BinpurI, Garbeta II, Gopiballavpur I, Gopiballavpur II, Jamboni, Jhargram, Keshiary, Medinipur Kharagpur I, Medinipur, Nayagram, Salboni, Sankrail Puruliya Arsha, Balarampur, Bandowan, Hura, Jaypur, Kashipur, Manbazar I, Manbazar II, Neturia, Para, Puncha, Purulia I, Purulia II, Raghunathpur I, Raghunathpur II, Santuri Purulia As per the 21 census the total population is , out of which percent reside in rural areas and 1.7 percent live in urban areas. Cultivation of this district is predominantly mono-cropped. About 6 percent of the total cultivated land is upland. Out of total agricultural holdings about 73 percent belongs to small and marginal farmers with scattered and fragmented smallholdings. Paddy is the primary crop, 5 percent of the total area is under net-cropped area and only 17 percent of the net-cropped area is for multi-crop cultivation. Aman paddy cultivation amounts to 77 percent of the net-cropped area. The crops are grown mostly under rainfed conditions; generally with low fertilizer consumption per unit area. Thus per hectare production is low compared to other districts of West Bengal. Fisheries are viable activities in the district, but results are not encouraging; tanks/ponds are not utilized properly. Total inland area of the district is ha leaving ample opportunity to bring more area under efficient Pisciculture. Figure 65 Map of Purulia Forests in Purulia total forest coverage in this district, including social forestry and degraded forest as per satellite imagery data, is ha, which is percent of the total land in the district. The management and maintenance of the forest is carried out by Joint Forest Protection Committees, which are under the active control of different divisions of the Forest Department. At present 72 Forest Protection Committees are working in this district. These committees have helped protect the plantation areas and have guarded against the illegal felling of trees. 48

58 The natural forests are mostly mixed and restricted to the northwest covering the Ajodhya and Panchet hills of the northeast. As per remote sensing data the forest cover of this district is increasing as compared to its past status. The extensive farm and social forestry plantation programmes may have largely contributed to the increase in forest cover. 49

59 Arsha Balarampur Bandowan Bankura-I Bankura-II Binpur-I Chhatna Garbeta-II Gopiballavpur-I Gopiballavpur-II Hirbandh Hura Indpur Jamboni Jaypur Jhargram Kashipur Keshiary Kharagpur-I Manbazar-I Manbazar-II Medinipur Nayagram Neturia Onda Para Puncha Purulia-I Purulia-II Raghunathpur-I Raghunathpur-II Salboni Saltora Sankrail Santuri Sarenga Simlapal Taldangra Numbers 25 Zone 8: Persons engaged in agriculture Bargadars Small farmers Marginal farmers Blocks Figure 67 Persons engaged in agriculture in Zone 8 5

60 Poverty and Livelihood Challenges Table 21 Percentage of the underdeveloped communities Districts Total Population ST ST (%) SC SC (%) Purulia Bankura West Midnapur Total This zone has the maximum population of the schedule tribe population who are considered to be the most underdeveloped class in the state and the country. Purulia district has the highest scheduled tribe (ST )population (over 18 percent) in the zone and the state. At the same time the zone has a significant scheduled caste population who are also underdeveloped class. This zone is completly rural, comprising an average rural population of 9 percent with a limited number of industries. Table 22 Work availability in different districts Total workers (TW) Work availability Class of Total Workers District Number P.C. Cultivators Agricultural Household Ind. Other Workers Labourers Workers Number PC to TW Number PC to TW Number PC to TW Number PC to TW Purulia Bankura West Midnapur As stated in the table above, over 6 percent of employment opportunities in the zone are agricultural, which is the main source of livelihood. Other occupations in Purulia and Bankura include making biri, an indigenous product used instead of cigarettes made from tendu leaves, which is a non-timber forest product. Shaal-leaf plates are made in a forest fringe area of West Midnapur. Both sectors are unorganized and operate through a localized market chain dominated by intermediaries; exploitative agents. Though agriculture is the main source of livelihoods in the zone, data show over 9 percent of the land holdings belong to marginal and small-scale farmers. Critically, almost 7 percent of the landholding belongs to marginal farmers as shown in the table below. Here the average land-holding pattern, is considered to be 1 ha or less per family. The increase in the population during the last decade resulted in further marginalization of assets, especially land ownership. Of this land, about 5 percent is uplands with very low productivity in fragmented and scattered parcels. Approximately 15 percent of the land is irrigated, and most marginal farmers do not have access to irrigation. The zone experiences poor monsoon rains once in almost every three years, which results in the total loss of kharif paddy, particularly in the uplands. Such widespread poverty, and the frequent occurrence of natural disasters, limits the possibility of any savings and wealth formation, excluding the possibility of investment to improve resources. Thus, most marginal and smallfarmers are living in vulnerable conditions that deteriorate with every passing year. 51

61 Table 23 Land size class in the zone Districts S I Z E - C L A S S Marginal Small Semi-medium Medium Large No.of holdings % marginal No.of holdings % small holding No.of holdings No.of holdings No.of holdings Average land holding (ha) Total land holdings (no.) Purulia Bankura West Midnapur To summarize, a little under half the population of rural Zone 8 is living below the poverty line as per official estimates. The entire district is drought prone. Over 7 percent of the population is dependent on marginal agriculture and allied activities, with low incomes and stagnant productivity. Thus, the challenge is not merely to create new livelihoods to offset the effects of population growth, but to make existing agricultural-livelihoods more productive so that persons engaged in agriculture can earn an adequate income to meet their basic needs. Topographically and agro-ecologically, Zone 8 is an extension of the Chhotanagpur plateau, characterized by an undulating terrain with hilly outcrops and average annual rainfall of 1 3 mm. The productivity of this land under a traditional cropping system (a single crop of kharif paddy) is very low, as soil fertility and water-holding capacity are low, water control is difficult and soils are shallow. The broad classification of land is as follows: valley land (bohal) medium lowland (kanali) medium upland (baid) upland (taand) homestead land (Badi) These are illustrated in Figure 73. Excluding forests and land under the custody of different government departments, the use of privately owned land is better understood in the context of livelihoods. However, as individual holdings are also set in a particular geographical location in the landscape, it makes sense to look at the general terrain features. 52

62 Figure 68 A typical village transact As shown in Figure 69, a family owns 2.69 acres, divided across four land categories. Apart from their own land, there is forestland that is used for fuel and other non-timber forest product such as shal, tendu leaves, mushrooms, etc. The table below explains land categories and their usage. Figure 69 Resource ownership pattern of a typical marginal family in the zone 53

63 Table 24 Land categories and their usage Type of land Status Ownership Scope for improvement Forest lands Green cover, vulnerable to illegal felling. Forest Long-term protection and soil moisture department. conservation to enhance growth. Fallow uplands (taand*) Degraded forest lands used as pasture lands by villagers Mostly wastelands, highly eroded with occasional presence of bushes or stubbles of trees Almost all families have some share. Protection, new plantation, soil and moisture conservation. With land development for soil moisture conservation or irrigation development, could be brought under orchard Homestead lands (Badi) Terraced & bunded miduplands (baid) Terraced & bunded mid low lands (kanali) & low lands (bohal) A family may have 5-8 sq. m., usually reserved for extension of houses as families grow/split. Sometimes uplands, used to grow vegetables for home consumption. Some families might have a dug well, used as a source of drinking water and to irrigate vegetable patches if cultivated. Without irrigation support, people grow only monsoon paddy. Vulnerable to the vagaries of the monsoon.. Used to cultivate longer duration, increasingly HYV, paddy during kharif, these are the most productive and the only secure source of food crops. Sporadic cultivation of pulses or oilseeds in winter. All categories of families have such lands. As usual, poorer have less. Poorer families on an average have ha of such lands. Poorer families on an average have.8.15 ha of such lands. Lands at the back yard could be best productive assets for women provided there is access to irrigation. Several neighbouring families could get together to share a dug well to intensify homestead farming. Could be converted into double cropped lands with low cost water harvesting and irrigation infrastructure development. Could grow three crops by developing water harvesting and irrigation infrastructure and good water management. Farm fisheries possible. Irrigation and agriculture District Net sown Area(ha) Irrigated area (ha)- considering repetitive irrigation Purulia Bankura West-Midnapur Table 25 The percentage of cultivable land and irrigated area (26-7) Irrigated-Rice productivity (kg/ha) Irrigation coverage is calculated on the basis of total irrigation provided to an area in different seasons of a year (say for three crop seasons). The Bankura irrigation coverage with respect to net sown area in is the cumulative coverage figure and is too small for the other two districts as stated. Most of the canal command areas do not receive water when needed. A large number of villages have no irrigation coverage at all. Fluctuation of rainfall, particularly early withdrawal of monsoons in some years, drastically reduces the sources in the command area. Considering the cumulative irrigated area coverage, it is noticeable that there is almost no second irrigated crop in Purulia district, similar to West Midnapur. At the same time, natural resource husbandry is not practiced, which resultes in very poor crop production. The highest rice yield in the zone under irrigation is far less than the average state yield and falls far behind the highest irrigated rice production of 3.6 tonne/ha. The typical cycle in the zone is shown below. 54

64 Figure 7 A typical cycle in the zone Agriculture is the backbone of the rural economy in Zone 8, and more than 8 percent of the population is directly dependent upon agriculture. Modern farming practices, however, are yet to take root and a many farmers continue to follow traditional practices with low yields. As in other hilly and undulating parts of the country, cereal crops such as paddy and maize occupy a major portion of the agricultural area in the zone. Other important crops grown are wheat and oilseeds; paddy dominates the current cropping pattern. As a result of a lack of irrigation facilities; small size of land holdings; lack of extension services for input management and practices; and lack of access to institutional credi crop yields are extremely low. A majority of farmers cultivate only one crop a year because of the lack of irrigation, resulting in a low income. Livestock in the zone is of poor quality, and primarily an adjunct to subsistence agriculture cattle of nondescript quality are kept primarily for draft power and manure. However, because of to the practice of free grazing and non-descript breeds of cattle, the contribution of livestock to the economy in general and to agriculture (by way of manure and draft power) is limited, even though the per capita availability of livestock compares well with that of the all India average. The practice of rearing livestock is mainly to cope with emergency situations and for festivals. 55