Water Management Constraints in Eastern
Indo-Gangetic Plain
P K Joshi and K K Datta
National Center for Agricultural Economics & Policy Research
Dev Prakash Shastry Marg, Pusa, New Delhi 110 012
25 February 2009

Indo-gangetic plain in India
Trans Gangetic
Upper Gangetic
Middle Gangetic
Lower Gangetic
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Background
Characteristics of Eastern IGP
Low productivity, high unemployment, extreme poverty
High rainfall; endowed with abundant good quality water
Most fertile soils
Irrigated area is extremely low compared to western
IGP
Large area during winter season is kept fallow due to
non-availability of water
Water management is a major concern
Technical and socio-economic constraints limit adoption of available
water management options
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Objectives
To document the available water management options for the
Eastern IGP
To evaluate the financial and economic feasibility of different
water management options suited to eastern IGP
To identify the constraints for non-adoption of available water
management options by different categories of farmers
To assess the changing prospects of agriculture in Eastern IGP
under different scenario of water management options
To propose strategies for larger adoption of improved water
management options in different categories of farmers
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Study area
Eastern IGP
Middle-Gangetic plain
Northeastern plain; Eastern plain; Vindyan;
Northeast plains; and South Bihar plains
Lower-Gangetic plain
Barid plains; Central alluvial plains; Alluvial coastal
saline plains; and Rorh plains
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Regions, sub-regions and districts
Agro-climatic Sub-region State/ district
region
1. Middle Gangetic Plains Region (a) North Eastern Plains U.P. : Bahraich, Gonda, Basti, Gorakhpur, Deoria
(b) Eastern Plains U.P. : Faizabad, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur,
Azamgarh, Ballia, Ghazipur, Varanasi
(c ) Vindyan U.P. : Mirzapur
(d) North Bihar Plains Bihar : Paschim Champaran, Prubi Champaran,
Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur,
Vaisali, Madhubani, Darbhanga and Samastipur
(e) North East Plains Bihar : Madhepura, Purnia, Katihar, Khogaria,
Begusarai and Saharsa
(f) South Bihar Plains Bihar : Bhojpur, Rohtas, Patna, Aurangabad,
Nalanda, Gaya, Nawada, Munger and Bhagalpur
1. Lower Gangetic Plain Region (a) Barind Plains West Bengal : West Dinajpur, Maldah
(b) Central Alluvial Plains Murshidabad, Nadia, Bardhaman, Hoogly, Hawrah
and Medinipur
(c) Alluvial Coastal Saline Plains North and South 24 Parganas,
(d) Rorh Plains Birbhum and Bankura
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Activities
Documentation of the available water management
options
Review the Perspective Plan and Annual Reports of ICAR Research
Complex for Easter Region
Review the reports of AICRIP on water management
Review IWMI research studies and other publications
Review studies undertaken under NATP
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Activities
Evaluate the financial & economic feasibility of
different water management options
Review the government policies for irrigation water in different states
Estimate item wise cost of available water management options
Assess the feasibility of improved water management options, and
compare with the existing practices
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Activities
Constraints to no-adoption of available water
management options
Super impose characteristics of water management options over the agro-
ecoregion
Technological
Institutional (land size, land tenure system)
Water related policies (water pricing; canal water distribution)
Infrastructure (electricity, roads)
Social (migration)
Any other (drawn after RRA)
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Activities
Assessment of changing prospects of agriculture as
a result of improved water management system
Changing cropping patterns, and production portfolio
Changing farm income, and employment
Changing livelihood pattern
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Activities
Strategies for larger impacts of improved water
management options
Develop policy matrix under different scenario
Assess cost implications
Assess needed policy and institutional responses
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research

Study period
1 April 2009 to 31 December 2009
Study team
NCAP
KK Datta and PK Joshi
IASRI
Exploring possibility to associate
IWMI
B R Sharma and Stefanos Xenarios
National Centre for Agricultural
Economics and Policy Research