Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Monday, Mar 17, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Monday, Mar 17, 2003 |
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Industry & Economy
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Natural Calamities Agri-Biz & Commodities - Agricultural Institutions Icrisat helps Kothapally to overcome drought Our Bureau
HYDERABAD, March 16 EVEN though drought has dried the farmlands of adjoining areas, the farmers of Kothapally village in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh managed to grow a summer crop this year. The wells in the village still hold water, thanks to the watershed development project executed in the area. The construction of 13 check dams and mini-percolation tanks in Kothapally area coupled with soil and water conservation measures carried out as part of the project ensured that water percolated into the village wells. Facilitated by the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) along with a consortium of partners, the Kothapally project has become a model for spreading the concept of watershed development. Particularly, the Andhra Pradesh Government is using the project as a model for its Drought-Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and the AP Rural Livelihood Programme. According to Icrisat, the project is also being replicated in China, Thailand and Vietnam with funding from the Asian Development Bank. Besides Icrisat, the consortium of partners in the project include the AP Government, DPAP, the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, the National Remote Sensing Agency, MV Foundation and the Farmers Association. The project initially focussed on implementing soil and water conservation measures and crop improvement techniques for individual farmers. Once the farmers were convinced of getting improved financial returns due to these interventions, they contributed to build community structures. Dr S.P. Wani, Icrisat's coordinator for the project, stated that the net result was increased agricultural productivity in the village. While the maize yield improved to 3,480 kg per hectare from 1,500 kg, sorghum yield improved to 2,425 kg per hectare from 1,700 kg earlier. Studies were also underway to find out the exact amount of carbon that was sequestered while growing crops in the semi-arid tropics. The Icrisat Director General, Dr William Dar, said the project showed the strength of partnership between many stakeholders who want work for improving the natural resource management to reduce rural poverty.
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