1ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Central Islands Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands744101, India
2ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute Kolkata, Bhumi Vihar Complex, Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700097, India
*Corresponding Author Email: feroze.rahman@icar.gov.in
Online Published on 15 November, 2022.
A tank cum open dug well system suitable for tropical islands of Andaman have been developed for providing reliable irrigation to croplands. The system comprises of series of tanks with open dug wells in the recharge zone of the tank that reharvest back the seepage water. Thus, the rain water remaining in the tank as well as partial seeped water is used for providing round the year full irrigation. This system was evaluated in the field of South Andaman district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with nine tanks and as many wells in two villages. The total command area of the system of series of tanks and wells in two villages is 31 ha and the total irrigation potential is 52.8 ha. The total cost of the system is ₹24.87 lakhs making the cost of irrigation resource creation as ₹80,226 per ha. The system increased the rice yields from 32.5 q ha−1 to a range of 45 to 47q ha−1 depending upon the package of practices or the amount of inputs. The farmers went for crops in post-monsoon and summer season and the cropping intensity rose from 128 per cent in the first year to 145 per cent in the sixth year.
Benefit cost ratio, Cropping intensity, Rain water harvesting, Tank cum well system
