Multidisciplinary Scientific Reviewer │Half Yearly │ Volume-07 │ Issue-02 │July-Dec 2020

Irrigation System under the British Rule Special Reference to Kukadi Project

Kakade Dharmanath Sampatrao

Loni Vianknath Tal-Shrigonda Dist-Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Indian

When we review the irrigation system of India, we have to go through the main stages of
water management; those are the ancient water management, medieval water
management and modern water management.
While reviewing the British era water management, we find that the foundation
of modern agriculture in India was laid during this period. Industrial Revolution resulted
in new inventions, the prime concern of new technologies were not used for the
betterment of society but to make money. In the early days of the British, small lakes and
diversion dams were initially used to divert rainwater and rainwater from cannelure and
rivers. Some of the irrigation dams of that period are still in use today. But the British
monarchy completely neglected the maintenance of conventional water supply equipment
required for agriculture. Until 1870, the amount of irrigated land in the Deccan was low.
Until then, the East India government and later the Rani government did not make any
effort for irrigation, citing lack of funds. In India, private companies tried to supply water
by undertaking irrigation schemes. However, these companies felt that the investment
was not profitable and needed to raise private capital for irrigation schemes. So the
government had no choice but to undertake this work. The British prioritized railway
development than irrigation. The railway facility would help to alleviate the drought by
carrying grains. The Indian rupee has been depreciating since 1873, due to a trade deficit
in the cheap import of Indian raw materials and consumption of finished goods in India.
It was the prime reason that the government could not raise money as loans from England
for irrigation. Therefore, the British government did not undertake irrigation schemes in
India.
The development of agriculture in India was necessary to keep the supply of
raw materials to England and to consume the finished goods here in India, that is, when
the English economy needed it. The British government undertook some irrigation
schemes in India. During the late nineteenth century, from 1870 onwards, Khadakwasla
Dam, Mutha Canal, Khodshi Dam, Krishna Canal and Bhatghar Dam, Nira left Canal
were completed.
After 1867, the government established an independent irrigation department
and also a construction association. A comprehensive irrigation development plan was
prepared in 1869 for the next ten years1. Over the next ten years of 1867, 52.85 million
were spent on the scheme. As these works were considered useful and satisfactory, a
policy was implemented to carry out further irrigation projects at the government's
expense through government organizations. Due to the severe famine in the late
nineteenth century, the British government had to take up protective irrigation schemes.
The first major irrigation project in Maharashtra was the Krishna Canal started in 1870.
The water of the Krishna River is used by the canal by constructing a dam at Khodshi.
The British also enacted laws on irrigation. The British had considered irrigation
administration as well as engineering work. For this purpose, the Bombay Irrigation Act
1876, Northern India Canals and Drainage Act and Bengal Irrigation Act were enacted.

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 Multidisciplinary Scientific Reviewer │Half Yearly │ Volume-07 │ Issue-02 │July-Dec 2020

These Acts laid the foundation of the present Irrigation Administration2. The same
method continues today with a little too far. According to the Drought Commission of
1880, the government should undertake conservation irrigation schemes to protect
agriculture from drought in drought-prone areas. Irrigation schemes should be given top
priority and should not be measured based on the return on the investment, but should be
measured on how much protection is provided to the drought-prone areas from drought,
how much stability is achieved in agriculture and how much increase in income. The
commission also said that the work of both the railways and the irrigation was necessary
for drought relief but priority should be given to irrigation. But in reality, except for the
sparse irrigation scheme, all the emphasis was on railways. The Drought Commission of
1898 stated that, in addition to the benefits of increased agricultural production and some
relief from drought, the project yields a return rate of 6%. Nevertheless, between 1882 -
1883 and 1895, the British laid more importance on the transport of raw materials and
food to ports for export and transporting imported goods to the interior parts of the
country. As well as they strengthen their grip on power in India and militarily. But the
drought was getting worse. The atmosphere in the country was becoming severe on this
question.
Therefore, in 1901, the government appointed the Irrigation Commission3. The
commission suggested that farmer should be motivated to dug wells, to cut down the
expenditure on irrigation and large scale schemes should be undertaken in drought-prone
areas if necessary. Mahatma Phule in his book, Shetkaryancha Asud, in 1883, suggested,
to improve the condition of the farmers, to provide water to the farms through wells and
to stop the erosion by building the farms and fields, the government should implement
soil conservation and water conservation schemes4. In 1902, the Government of the State
of Mumbai asked Mr F. H. Bill to study, the sources of water availability in the Ghats of
the Mumbai area and which irrigation schemes could be undertaken for the drought-prone
areas. According to that report, Darna (Archali), Pravara (Bhandardara), Girna
(Chankapur) and later Nira Ujwa canal etc. Plans were undertaken. Therefore, by 1940,
more than one lakh hectares of land in Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Satara and Solapur
districts came under irrigation5. During this period no new works were done in
Marathwada from 1940 to 1948. In Vidarbha, however, from 1909 to 1919, Ramtek,
Podzari, Nakeshwar etc. the plans were implemented. Due to the development of
irrigation and some effective mitigation measures during this period, the government
stopped taking up new irrigation schemes as soon as the severity of the drought was
curbed. Generally, no plan has been undertaken since 1925. Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj
did the works related to irrigation. He started building Radhanagari dam on the Bhogwati
river. People were involved in his work. The people of Kolhapur have, for the first time,
started the Kolhapur style dams which have spread and identified as Kolhapur style dams
everywhere. The British Government's, policy of irrigation development was one of
protectionist, emphasizing productive economics rather than irrigation development. E.g.
In the ten years from 1889 to 1899, the government brought 1420,000 acres of land under
irrigation in Punjab. This increase was 86%. On the contrary, in the neighbouring Delhi-
Agra area, only 100,000 acres of land came under irrigation in these ten years. In the
drought-prone areas of Mumbai province, in what is now western Maharashtra, only
100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of land came under irrigation during the 50 years from
1870 to 1930. It meant that the government was not interested in protecting the drought-

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 Multidisciplinary Scientific Reviewer │Half Yearly │ Volume-07 │ Issue-02 │July-Dec 2020

stricken area. According to the government, such development took place due to
favourable geographical conditions in Punjab. Mr H. F. Beel suggested Irrigation
Schemes of Nira Left and Right Canal, Mutha Extension, Girna, Mula Canal (Nagar),
Bhima - Kukdi - Dhom - Meena, Krishna (Dhom), Koyna (Helwak), Canal (Palakhed),
Nashik Canal (Gangapur), Darna Right Canal (Pimpalgaon Pig), Aundh (Mukne) Tapa
(Hatnur) etc. The government has not undertaken any of these schemes except Nira
Canal, Girna, Pravara. After the global recession of 1929-1930, the attitude of the
government changed. In 1931, the government appointed a committee to look into how
the government could get maximum benefits from irrigation schemes and to maximize
the demand for water available under irrigation schemes6. The committee had noted that
the government received a net income of Rs 1.33 crore in 1929-1930, by making an
investment of about Rs 8 crore in these schemes. Out of 65,000 hectares of land under
this scheme, sugarcane was being grown in 11,000 hectares of land. Sugarcane accounts
for half of the government's total revenue from irrigation schemes. Due to lack of market
demand and affordable prices for seasonal crops, farmers could not afford to buy water
for such crops. The 1931 committee recommended that the area under sugarcane be
increased, therefore, in the Deccan region, where there was a sugar factory in 1931, six
new factories were set up in the six years from 1931 to 1937. During this period, 23,000
hectares of land came under sugarcane under irrigation schemes. In its report, the
Mumbai Irrigation Commission (Visvesvaraya Commission) of 1938 stated that since the
introduction of canals, the cost of drought relief has come down drastically. The
Irrigation Scheme is an effective measure for the protection of drought-prone areas. Prof.
Gadgil measured the successes and failures of the Gokhale Economics Institution’s
survey regarding the direct and indirect benefits of Godavari and Pravara canals. He
attributed that the government should consider the benefits of the increased employment
opportunities created by capital investment, increasing the use of livestock and other
resources etc. The British government did not undertake any plans during this period, but
they inculcated modern science in India7. The British government also donated the
technique to measure the heights through binoculars, river and canal bridges to the
Indians. During the pre-independence period, The British government constructed a total
of several 21 reservoirs including Godavari (Nandur-Madhameshwar), Pravara (Ojhar),
Nira (Veer), Mutha (Khadakwasla), Krishna (Khodshi) Torna and 15 medium and small
projects. It created an irrigation capacity of 2.74 lakh hectares. It cost Rs 16.60 crore.
During this period, the construction of high earthen dams was limited due to lack of
flawless technology.
So a stone dam was built but the knowledge and technology were also not
developed. When we look at the British period, it shows that the British gave limited
importance to irrigation development. However, during this period the government used
modern technology, increased the size of the irrigation project, and also appointed the
commission for Irrigation. The government has enacted Irrigation laws and undertook the
schemes for the same. The history of irrigation above shows that the development of the
same was limited to the British period. When it comes to irrigation development, it is
vital to take into account the geographical and agricultural information of Maharashtra in
particular. Only then we can think about what the government has done in a planned
manner to create such people-oriented irrigation development.

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 Multidisciplinary Scientific Reviewer │Half Yearly │ Volume-07 │ Issue-02 │July-Dec 2020

References :
1. Dhamdhere Sures, Maharashtratil Sinchan Panlot Aani Jalsandharan, Pune, S. V.
Educational Faoundation, 2005,Page No-45
2. Deshmukh M. M., Prachin Bhartacha Itihas, Nagpur, Vishwabharti Prakashan, 1998,
Page No-65.
3. Fadke Vasanti, (Trans.), Prachin Bharat, Pune, K. Sagar Publications, 2011. Page No-
120
4. Gathal S. S., Bhartacha Itihas, Aurangabad, Kailas Publications 2010, Page No-38
5. Fadke Vasanti, (Trans.), Prachin Bharat, Pune, K. Sagar Publications, 2011. Page No-
14
6. Kulkarni, Pawar, Jal – Ashay, Thane, Om Publications, 2002 Page No-56
7. Dhamdhere Sures, Maharashtratil Sinchan Panlot Aani Jalsandharan, Pune, S. V.
Educational Faoundation, 2005 Page No-65.

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