SAMRA COMMITTEE FINDINGS
Committee submitted its report on 15th april 2008 and following are some of the important findings:
1. Analysis of human development, infrastructure, and agriculture related, social and economic indicators ranked Bundelkhand most backward region.
2. Crop production and livestock rearing contribute 90% to the farm income, crop residue provides 67% of the animal fodder and failure of rains caused distress.
3. Climatic variability has increased frequency of extreme weather events, risk and vulnerability.
4. Moderate to severe meteorological drought due to rainfall deficit was analysed.
5. Hydrological drought was evident from 15 to 47% decline in the filling of reservoirs in Madhya Pradesh, 28 to 64% in Uttar Pradesh over three years, 70% dried up tanks, ponds, dug-well and steep fall in ground water table.
6. Out of four years, moderate to severe agricultural drought occurred for 2-4 years in the 13 districts of Bundelkhand. Net sown Area in 2007-08 ranged from 15 to 80% with an average of 60%, and 22% decline in food grain production was observed.
7. Irrigation potentials of less than 45% of net sown area were created, utilization efficiency was about 50% and watershed management is prioritized intervention.
8. Synergies of forest, wasteland, non-arable, arable land, rearing of animals, micro-enterprising, equity and enabling institutions may be optimized in the watershed management programme.
9. Surface water resources are least developed in Madhya Pradesh.
10. Improving water use efficiency by upgrading the system should be high priority for Uttar Pradesh.
11. Out of 37 lift Irrigation schemes of Uttar Pradesh only one at Jalaun was sick and overall utilization was 93%.
12. Out of 31 lift Irrigation schemes of Madhya Pradesh only eight functioned occasionally and overall utilization varied from 5 to 10% only.
13. Only 50% utilization of canal irrigation in Madhya Pradesh is a major concern of improving management.
14. Hybrids of Jowar, Baira, Bt cotton, input intensive new varieties of pulses, oil seeds, public distribution system, neglect of tanks, dug-wells and installing of tube-wells have altered traditional coping systems and increased risks, distress and vulnerability to droughts.
15. Farmers did not prefer cattle camp for milch and productive animals and argued in favour of fodder and feed banks.
16. Horticulture is another important option to diversify income, employment, risks and vulnerability to rainfall uncertainties.
17. Citrus (Nimbu), phalsa, and jack fruit also have potentials of diversifying risks, distress and vulnerability.
18. Forest and scrub occupy 8.8% of geographical area in Uttar Pradesh and 26.2% of Madhya Pradesh. More than 64% forest in Uttar Pradesh and more than 50% in Madhya Pradesh are degraded and there are opportunities to improve productivity and other services of land cover.
19. Construction of Water Harvesting structures in forests can improve supplies of water for wild life and downstream agriculture.
More than 90% of all category farmers normally take produce to the market, 64% sales being in regulated market.
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