Impact assessment of irrigation on cropping pattern food and nutritionsecurity at macro level in Ghataprabha Malaprabha command area

Abstract

An investigation was undertaken to assess the impact of Ghataprabha- newlineMalaprabha irrigation project pattern, food consumption basket, life quality, socioeconomic newlinestatus and nutrition security. newlinePrimary data from household and adolescent girls were collected by newlineinterviewing the respondents from small and large holding of command and noncommand newlinearea. Anemia status was assessed by biochemical assessment. newlineThe production of total cereals decreased from 1,99,485 to 1, 32,304 mt in newlineMalaprabha and increased from 1,99,450 to 2,51,745 mt in Ghataprabha command newlinearea during 1981-82 to 2000-01. the production of pulses reduced in both newlineGhataprabha (14427 3409 mt) and Malaprabha (14500 - 5800 mt) area during 1981- newline82 to 1995-96. newlineTremendous increase in the production of sugarcane and oilseeds was newlineobserved in Ghataprabha (433000 1555840 and 18346 36320 mt, respectively) newlineand Malaprabha (360420 1915624 mt and 1423 29729 mt, respectively) command newlinearea. The availability of all the major nutrients, vitamins, minerals and essential newlineamino acids was highest during 1990-91 and lowest during 2000-01 in Malaprabha newlinecommand area. newlineThe availability of amenities, public and educational facilities and household newlineowning tiled, concrete and double stored houses were higher in command area newlinecompared to non-command area. Significantly higher percentage of households from newlinecommand area possessed amenities (viz., radio, tape recorder, television, telephone newlineand pumpset). Nearly 60.42 per cent of the farmers of command area secured higher newlinescores for life quality, while those from non-command area secured low scores and newlinebelonged to poor category (44.79%). The adolescent girls of command area were newlineshorter and lighter than non-command area counterparts. The intake of cereals was newlinelower among the girls of command area (370.31 g/ACU/day) and that of green leafy newlinevegetables, roots and tubers, other vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products and nuts newlineand oilseeds (30.25, 28.58, 47.74, 26.63, 89.07 and 13.55 g/day) was higher compared newlineto their counterparts fr