Profile analysis of tank users under project and non-project areas

United Andhra Pradesh is one of the leading states having highest number of tanks and tank users in the country. Most of the tank structures were damaged in the state due to lack of community and government management. Traditional tank institutions have undergone changes because of the vast increase in the number of irrigators, shifts in control of the land from a few to many landowners, changes in the attitude of farmers and the spread of well irrigation in tank commands. In the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, three districts (Mahaboobnagar from Telangana, Vizianagaram from Coastal Andhra, and Chittoor from Rayalaseema) were selected purposively. From each district four tanks (two from project and two from non-project area) were selected randomly. A total of 240 (120 under project area and 120 under non-project area) tank users selected from 12 tanks were considered as sample for the study. Profile characteristics viz age, education, farm size, farming experience, socio-political participation, participation in extension programmes, extension contact, information seeking behavior, empathy, trainings received, scientific orientation, risk taking ability, decision making behavior and marketing behavior were selected for the study. Ex-post facto research design was adopted. Majority of the project tank users had primary school education and small farm size, high level of socio-political participation, extension contact, information seeking behavior and marketing behavior. Majority of the non-project tank users had primary school education and marginal farm size whereas majority of them had low information seeking behavior, empathy, training received, risk taking ability and marketing behaviour.