Prof (Dr) R.D. Gupta
Diversified agriculture means not only growing of food grain crops including those of pulses and oil seeds but also to grow fruit trees as well as vegetables to save the water instead of cultivating rice and wheat in the same field year after year which consume more water. Also grow grasses and forest trees. Maintain a good forest cover. It is because, “water is a forest produce and we have to realize that without vegetative cover, it can not be any assured water supply”
The department of agriculture in collaboration with the agriculture universities ought to take measures to promote horticulture and floriculture by focusing research on developing varities fruit trees and flowers which can resist water scarcity and climatic fluctuations. Besiced more and more farmers must also be motivated to adopt allied sectors of agriculture such as sericulture , pisiculture , dairy farming and poultry farming etc.
Principles of rainwater harvesting
The main principle of rain water harvesting is to conserve rainwater where it falls in accordance with geographical condition and as per local needs. Never the less there are certain limits beyond which insitu rainwater conservation cannot be stretched. Also , the value of water stored in the soil is fixed to a certain limit or a point i.e. , from filed capacity to wilting point. Field capacity is defined as the amount of water held in the soil after the excess of gravitational water has drained away and after the rate of downward movement of water has materially decreased. The wilting point is the percentage of moisture in a soil at which plants begain to wiltor wither for want of moisture . therefore , if prolonged dry conditions prevail and crop is exposed to moisture levels below the wiltind point. The only way to sustain the withering withering crop would he irrigation. Apparently, run off capturing and its recycling as irrigation hold key to stabilize abd sustain development of ranged agriculture
Water harvesting structures
Of the various rainwater harvesting structures used for the aforesaid purpose, the following structures which have been found more beneficial and/are in vogue since long, are as follows:
Construction of dams
Construction of dams of suitable height (5 to 6m or more ever ) all through the rainted areas, especially in kandibelt of jammu, has been found to be the most appropriate to conserve the monsoon flood water from a large number of seasonal torrents. The dams would act as reservatoirs after checking soil erosion and run off and floods. These reservoirs will improve soil moisture all around to help vegetation. The water so conserved can also be utilized for limited irrigation after lifting from these reservories. Drip irrigation and sprinker irrigation can also be followed for irrigating the crop, vegetables and fruit trees.
Construction of farm ponds
Farm ponds are small tanks or reservoirs which are constructed for the purpose of storing rain water, essentially from surface run off. The water so collected in these farm ponds can be used for irrigating the crops whenever its necessity is felt. The water of farm ponds is also useful for water supply for cattle, fish production etc. Thus farm ponds possess a significant role in dry land or areas of rained agriculture. There are many types of farm ponds viz, dugout ponds, earthen embankment ponds. Dugout ponds, excavated at the site and soil obtained from the excavation is formed as an earthen embankment around the pond. The pond is either tilled from the surface run off or ground water wherever the aquifers are available. In case of dugout ponds, if their stored water has to be utilized for irrigating the crops then this has to be pumped out by making suitable arrangements.
Rooftop water harvesting
This method of rain water harvesting is proved very useful for urban areas for ground water recharge. The water harvested from roof tops can lie used for significant recharge of ground water aquifers. Rooftop rainwater collected can be diverted to ground water reservoir through open well, recharge pit and trench. It has been estimated that about 60-70 percent of rainfall water (which flows into drains or sewer lines) can thus diverted for the purpose of recharging ground water.
Water harvesting programme in kandibelt of Jammu
Water harvesting programme for the Kandi areas of Jammu should also provide for utilization of water of about 335 or 336 ponds with an average size ranging from 2 to 5 kanals (0.1 to 0.4 ha) -Jammu district tops the list followed by Kathua and Udhampur. It is a two year old figure and Jammu district in this case includes the erstwhile Samba tehsil which was earlier its part and is now a separate district (anonymous, 2010). These ponds were constructed long ago but presently most of them are lying in disuse for water for repairs or due to encroachments of their water inlet routes, which require to be repaired for their use to enhance the availability of water.
(Concluded)
