Impact of Ganga Kalyana Irrigation scheme on cropping pattern and farmers’ income in Ballari district of Karnataka

Abstract

Groundwater serves as a vital natural resource crucial for fulfilling India's water needs. Ballari district was purposively selected for the study to analyse the socio-economic performance of Ganga Kalyana Yojana scheme. Total samples of 120 farmers were chosen for the study of which 60 beneficiary and 60 non-beneficiary farmers were selected using probability proportion to size sampling. The finding of the study revealed that The overall income, comprising earnings from crop production, subsidiary enterprises, and wage incomes, experienced a significant upswing, rising from ? 2,21,924 to ? 3,86,023 and was statistically significant at 5 per cent level. Number of man-days employed for crop production on the farms before the Ganga Kalyan Yojana was 186, which increased to 250, there by indicating 34.40 per cent enhancement and was statistically significant at 5 per cent level. Employment under other occupations slightly increased from 111.54 man-days to 121 man-days indicating 7.50 per cent and labour hiring has reduced from 226.33 man-days to 73 man-days after the implementation of the scheme as farmers stopped working outside and started working in their own farms and was statistically significant at 5 per cent level. Overall, the findings highlight the scheme's effectiveness in promoting economic growth and self-sufficiency among the beneficiary farmers in the study area.