Scholarly Research Journal for Humanity Science & English Language, Online ISSN 2348-3083, SJ IMPACT FACTOR 2016 = 4.44, www.srjis.com UGC Approved Sr. No.48612, DEC-JAN 2018, VOL- 5/25
WATER CAN CHANGE FARMERS’ LIFE: A CASE FROM MAHARASHTRA Shankar Chatterjee, Ph. D. Former Prof & Head (CPME), NIRD &PR, Hyderabad-500 030, Telangana, India E-mail: <shankarjagu@gmail.com>
Assured water is one of the important inputs for good harvest which is sine qua non for Indian farmers and if water is assured then not only they will sustain but country can prosper, as we all know Gandhiji long ago mentioned, “India does not live in its towns but in its villages” (mkgandhi.org/gandhi on villages).In view of this, we have to focus on development of farmers as they have been providing us food by doing hard labour in all the seasons.Keeping in mind of these, inAhmednagar district of Maharashtra at Bahirwadi village ofAhmednagarblock by constructing awatershedin2001, many farmers as well as 400 acres of agricultural land have been benefitted. Of course rainfall (normal in the area is 500 millimetres) should be normal. Keeping in mind of this, a study was conducted in January 2018 about the crops grown, its production, farmers’ individual family income etc., and for this few farmers were contacted and data were collected from them. Keywords: agriculture, crops, farmers and income. Scholarly Research Journal's is licensed Based on a work at www.srjis.com
Ahmednagar district is the largest district of Maharashtra located in western side. Ahmednagar city is the headquarters of the district. According to 2011 census Ahmednagar district recorded a population of 4,543,083. This gives the district rank of 33rdamong the districts of India (out of a total of 640). The district had a population density of 266 persons per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.43% and had a sex ratio of 934 females for every 1000 males. The district had a literacy rate of 80.22% in 2011 and it is a part of Nasik Division. . This district is known for the towns of Shirdi associated with Sai Baba and Meherabad associated with Meher Baba and ShaniShinganapur with Shanidev as sequel lot of tourists, visitors from India and abroad visit the district. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj selected Ahmednagar one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640) and thus entitled to receive assistance from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Scheme (BRGF) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmednagar_district). The district gets low rainfall as average rainfall is 500 millimetres and that too sometimes erratic in nature as a result farmers Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies