Impact of Urbanization on Irrigation System (A Case Study of Sorah Chhattis Mauja Community Irrigation System, Rupandehi)

Abstract

Irrigation is the most important factor to improve agricultural production. If farmers have got sufficient irrigation facility, they can produce more crops and our country will be benefited more, because agriculture is the backbone of Nepalese economy. Most of the people of the country depend on the agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture is the major source of the employment for the country. This study especially focuses on Sorah Chhattis Mauja Community Irrigation System of Rupandehi District. Sorah Chhattis Mauja Community Irrigation System is expanded into 7 VDC and a municipality of Rupandehi district, which is under the management of the local farmers since the initial stage. This study focuses on to assess the impact of urbanization on Sorah Chhattis Mauja Community Irrigation System, which is the one of the large Irrigation system of the country since more than a century. This study by nature largely based on primary data. The primary data is collected from the farmers of Shankarpur Mauja, Mirgauliya Mauja, Paschim Pahuni Mauja, Purbi Shankarnagar Ek Number Mauja, Char Number Mauja and whereas secondary data and information were accumulated from various published and unpublished sources. 50 households of these Maujas are sample size of this study. The structured questionnaires are used to collect the primary data from individual household to fulfill the objectives of the study. All collected data are tabulated and analyzed by using simple statistical method. This study revealed that the impact of urbanization on SCMCIS is problems for the farmers of this irrigation systems command area. This study has found that Sorah Chhattis Mauja Community Irrigation System is affected by the urbanization due to lack of any proper management of wastage disposal for the municipality and village development committee. People of the main area of this system are throwing their wastages in the canal, without any clarification. So, status of this systems water is poor and not much acceptable for the agricultural production. This is very harmful for the farmers and the country, which is affecting the countries agricultural production. On the basis of the study finding some recommendations have been suggested for the improvement of SCMCIS management aspect and to increase the quality and flow of the water on irrigation system.