Water Resources, Orissa.
History is a Greek word which means systematic account of natural phenomena and methodical record of public events; past events, course of human affairs etc. History is a repository of human values and aspirations, accumulation of efforts, experience, hopes and achievements that have gradually civilized humanity. Past, present and future are linked together in the endless chain of history. Primary aim of the history is to promote understanding of the present by knowledge of the past. Thinkers have gone to the extent of saying that all our hopes of the future depend on a sound knowledge of the past. The developments made by the landlords, chieftains, kings, rulers and philanthropists in the field of general administration, law and order, construction of roads, temples, schools, trade and commerce and their patronage on art, culture, literature, their adventures are generally recorded by historians but less or no systematic information is available on the development of irrigation and irrigated agriculture. Well and tank irrigation have been mentioned at places in Vedas and other ancient scriptures. The well irrigation was mostly by the effort of well-to do people. Tank irrigation was either by community or by benevolen rulers. But major irrigation works which needed both skill and finance developed during dynastic rule and British period. Irrigation has always played a strategic role in the continuous process of agricultural development. In most of the ancient civilizations irrigated agriculture had provided and continues to provide the agrarian basis of society. Irrigation in India is contemporary with dawn of civilization when comparatively small groups of men settled down close to river banks where the main source of sustenance was agriculture. Gradually irrigation came to practice not only along the river banks, but further inland by means of wells, tanks and canals on fairly large scale.
Orissa known as ‘Kalinga’ was not left far behind. Benevolent kings and rulers of the State took interest for the welfare of their subjects to extend irrigation facilities by constructing tanks, ‘Sagar's, Katas and small reservoirs. Fertile soil and favourable climate of the State made the cultivation of various kinds of crops possible during the medieval period. Cultivated lands were generally located near the water source where irrigation for agriculture was convenient. Some rulers of ancient and medieval time had constructed few water sources to serve the causes of agriculture but those were not enough. Virtually agriculture was left to the mercy of rain God. But some rulers had done their best for improving the economic condition of farming community by creating water resources.
The scanty water sources created and the practices followed during the dynastic period in the State of Orissa have been briefly described in this paper. This is part of the research scheme on ‘History of Irrigation Development in Orissa‘ sponsored by INCID.
