Page 90 - economic review

AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED SECTORS62

harbor management societies may be constituted for each harbor. Regarding social infrastructure,
provision for safe shelter and drinking water, improvement of public health and education facilities,
total sanitation and solid waste management etc. needs special care and attention. Focused attention
for the implementation of coastal area development project including livelihood security is urgently
required.

Section 4
Water Resources

2.94 Assured irrigation is the key input for agriculture development. Irrigation projects are the live
heritages of our nation, as they provide livelihood opportunities to the millions . Over a period of time
huge investments have been made in irrigation sector to create potential. One of the chronic problem
of Indian irrigation sector is under utilisation of the created potential . Irrigation development in Kerala
is mainly centered on the development of major and minor irrigation projects. About 60 to 70 percent
of the investment in each plan of the state under irrigation sector was earmarked for major and
medium irrigation.

2.95 Rice is the major crop benefited through irrigation infrastructure in the State. Even in
the case of this crop, the incremental yield, which the irrigation support could bring, is not
significant. With the fast changes taking place in the farm front of Kerala with notable reduction
in the area under rice cultivation, even the distribution systems already developed for gravity
irrigation to service rice cultivation now require realignment. Investments in irrigation are changing
globally in response to changes in environment and experience with previous projects. Increased
water scarcity has shifted the focus from exploitation of water resources and building infrastructure to
improvement of water use efficiency. The source development along with area wide micro irrigation
systems is an option for the state in most of the agro-ecological zones.

Live Storage Capacities of Irrigation Reservoirs

2.96 Surface irrigation constitute major chunk of irrigation infrastructure in the state. There
are 18 dams in the state intended for irrigation. Out of this, 14 have storages and remaining
are barrages. The live storage position of the reservoirs during the beginning and end of
the monsoon period during 2012 to 2014 are given in Appendix 2.50. During 2014, at the
beginning of monsoon, the total storage was 415.16 Mm3 and at the end of the monsoon,
the level was raised to 1316.46 Mm3, as against the previous year levels of 280.56 Mm3 and
1290.25 Mm3 respectively. The increase in storage is due to increase in rain fall during the period.

Fig.2.8
Live storage Position in the Reservoirs (2012-14)

901.3

2014 415.16 1316.46
2013 Increase due to Monsoon
2012
1009.69 Storage at the end of the
0 1290.25 Monsoon

280.56 Storage at the beginning
340.32 of the Monsoon
403.66
743.98

500 1000 1500 Million Cubic meter

Kerala State Planning Board