Impact of Sprinkler Irrigation on Socio-economic Conditions and Environment in Eastern Part of Thar Desert

Abstract

A case study in three arid villages of Sikar district in northwest Rajasthan revealed a transformation in the adoption of sprinkler irrigation. where the marginal and small farmers had owned more than 60% sprinklers. Joint ownership with agnatic kin was dominant over the individual ownership. The rate of diffusion varied among the villages due to availability of irrigation facilities. In one of the villages, sprinkler was introduced in the early seventies. Sprinkler irrigation has not only increased the area under irrigation, but has also put undulating land under cultivation. The micro-climatic conditions are changing gradually with the plantation of trees. The labor demand has drastically come down at the ratio of 3: I compared to that under flood irrigation. Also, there is 30 to 35% water saving. Five factors were extracted from factor analysis, which accounted for 60.5% of the total variability. Factor I, accounting for 15.1% of variability, recorded high loading on subsidy and bank loan. The study, therefore, underscores the importance of economic factors in the adoption of sprinkler system of irrigation, besides other social factors.