MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES INMAHARASHTRA: A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract:

Irrigation is the basic input for the Management of agriculture from rain fed to the commercial one. The progress made by the Maharashtra State in respect of creation of irrigation potential and its utilization is very dismal. The actual utilization of the available potential is less than 50 per cent, leaving a huge gap between creation and utilization of the irrigation potential. The main causes of underutilization of irrigation potential include incomplete land development works, non-maintenance of distribution system, heavy transit and seepage losses, cultivation of sugarcane, water logging and salinity, unrealistic cropping pattern, and inadequate supply of credit and farm inputs. Measures suggested for conjunctive use of irrigation water are: lining of canal and distribution system to reduce transit and seepages losses, use of drip and sprinkle irrigation methods, implementation of rotational water supply system and water harvesting.