Irrigation practices in villages?

Question

Irrigation practices in villages?

Answer 1

Irrigation sources in villages depend on the geography of the region. Here are some practices in India.

1. Rivers: Dams big, small or weirs are built across mainly by community effort (that includes government) and extensive canal network brings water level where it flows into farms. Groups of farmers need to dig channels into their fields.

In places where the farm is little above the channel, 'Aethamu' is used, operated by a single person is the practice in coastal Andhra Pradesh. This is a lever (palm trunks used as they are straight and long) mounted aloft on a fixed frame at a fulcrum, the water end connected to a bucket slung down on a straight bamboo pole. The man by walking  to & fro on palm trunk lever dips the bucket in water and lift it, manipulating it to discharge the water into a channel to the farm.

2. Ponds: Also called 'tanks' or 'reservoirs'. On the lower level of the salient (ground) on which it is located, a wall ('bund') is built to hold the water. In the wall pipes are fitted for irrigation to fields below.

3. Wells: They come in all sizes & shapes. In eastern Deccan there are step wells, cubic hollows scooped out of rock fifty feet or more deep. Water is drawn up through 'Mota'. A 25 gallons (so that two bullocks can draw) hemispherical steel (or Iron) bucket is strung to a rope with a vent at bottom that over a fixed pulley (tied to a frame) is made to lift water and discharge through the vent. Bullocks are tethered to the other end of rope and they move to & fro in a file.

Now with electricity being made available, motors of various capacities (2, 5 or 10 HP) are fitted at the water sources. if they are streams in Deccan they are much below in level to the fields. But the supply of electricity is erratic and is available in the mid-night when there is no demand on it from other users. Free power supply (with erratic timings) is also the practice in the state of Andhra Pradesh.