Impact of Watershed Development Programme on Cropping Pattern and Intensity of District Hisar

Abstract

Effective use of natural resources to develop the agro-based economy is fundamental condition. Indian economy can be placed among the countries which depend on the agricultural sector for its development. For over-all development of the economy, it becomes necessary that the production should meet the demands of the other sector of the economy. So, the government of India tries to change in the direction of the cropping-pattern in accordance with the demands of the economy. To fulfill this objective, it has started many development programmes. The Watershed Development Program is one of the important programs among them. This approach seeks to improve all types of land, forest, community as well as the potential production. How far, this programme has made improvement in the production of Hisar district of Haryana state, is the objective undertaken in the present study. In order to fulfill this objective, primary data have been collected from two villages of two blocks of Hisar district of Haryana state. Simple statistical techniques have been used for the data analysis viz. averages, percentages etc. The present study suggests regarding cropping pattern that the area of block -1 has been dominant for the paddy crop and cotton has found a dominant position in block-2 during kharif crop after the implementation of the project. But the position has become worsened for Bajra, mustard and sugar cane in both of the blocks. There has been no change in cropping intensity in percentage terms.