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This blog highlights the activities and study abroad experiences of 11 incredible students participating in an American University, School of International Service practicum based in Bangalore, India.  The blog documents class activities, field experiences, and student observations.

The course in India is a 3 credit course that focuses on public service delivery of water in the state of Karnataka, India. Students are working on a project for the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture under the direction of State Agriculture Minister, Krishna Byre Gowda (also an American University Alum), to evaluate the Krishi Bhagya Scheme—a water and micro irrigation scheme that helps farmers collect rain water through farm ponds used to irrigate their crops.

(Krishna Byre Growda meetings with SIS Studetns)

CLASS BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Despite promising gains in agricultural output and increasing modernization of irrigation in Karnataka, the state is facing a situation with increasing demand for water resources and a shrinking water supply. The state relies on rainfall for agriculture. Historically, rainfall has been adequate to meet the potential evapotranspiration requirements for about five months during the period June-October when the southwest monsoon is active. Irrigation is necessary in other months to sustain crop production. In Karnataka, the average rainfall is 1248 mm annually (down from a reported 1800 mm in 2005, Gulati et al. 2005). Approximately 80 percent of the state's rainfall comes from the southwest monsoons (Gulati et al. 2005). In recent years, increasing variability in annual rain throughout the state has created serious problems for farmers. The southwest monsoons have become less predictable. This has led to a further dependence on irrigation to sustain agricultural output, particularly irrigation from groundwater and river water.

Today the state faces a severe shortage of groundwater. By 2009, there was over-exploitation of groundwater in 43 taluks, and groundwater exploitation had exceeded 50 percent of the available ground water resources in an additional 29 taluks of the State (Chandrankanth 2009, 1). By and large, this trend has continued.

The Government of Karnataka and State Department of Agriculture have been working to adopt policies and develop new strategies in order to promote more efficient use of water resources throughout the state. One such initiative started in 2013-2014 is the Krishi Bhagya Scheme. The scheme seeks to:

• To Increase the area under micro-Irrigation through improved technologies. 
• To enhance the water use efficiency. 
• To Increase the productivity of crops and farmer's income; and
• To promote, develop and disseminate micro-irrigation technology for agriculture with modern scientific knowledge (GoK 2017).

In particular, Krishi Bhagya supplies farmers with a subsidy of up to 80 percent of their cost in creating and utilizing farm pond for rainwater harvesting. The scheme supplies farmers with available machinery for creating farm ponds, a polyurethane lining to prevent water loss into the ground, a cover to protect the ponds and water evaporation, as well as a pump and sprinkler system enabling farmers to utilize micro-irrigation techniques in the periods during their crop cycles when when they most require additional irrigation resources.

To date there are many noted success stories of the Krishi Bhagya Scheme, and evaluations from four universities in the State of Karnataka have found some evidence that farmers who have utilized the scheme have experienced increases in their socioeconomic wellbeing and household income. However, there has been no direct evaluation comparing farms that have received the Krishi Bhagya Sceme with those that have not.  Moreover, the government has taken efforts to inform farmers about Krishi Bhagya through different information campaigns (Krishi Melas and the 2017 Krishi Abhiyan) since the inception of the scheme. But the degree to which these efforts have been effective in encouraging farmers to take up the scheme remains unclear.

The objective of this work is to provide technical support to the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture—evaluating the Krishi Bhagya Scheme in the Ramnagara Distrct and making an effort to better understand what kinds of information lead farmers to avail of the scheme. The work will take place in 3 taluks of Ramnagara.

(Students in the field conducting surveys to assess Krishi Bhagya)

This work involve: (a) developing an understanding of the country, state and district context, policies, challenges and concerns related to the Krishi Bhagya Scheme; (b) utilizing methodological skills and training acquired through previous SIS courses to design an evaluation, field survey in Ramnagara District; (c) working to implement the survey firsthand by conducting fieldwork and interviewing farmers in Ramnagara; (d) drafting deliverables and final product assessing.

Studetns will provide a final evaluation and presentaiotn to the State Minister of Agriculture and Joint Director of Agriculture for Ramnagara District after project completion.

We are grateful to the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) in Bangalore for hosting our class and welcoming our group. Through this institutional affiliation, AU students have the opportunity to interact with students and faculty at the institute to provide for an enriching cultural and study abroad experience. 




References: 

Chandrakanth, MG. 2009. "Karnataka State Water Sector Reform: Current Status, Emerging Issues and Needed Strategies."

Government of Karnataka (GoK). 2017. "Krushi Bhagya Government Order." Web address: Krushi Bhagya Government Order, accessed 25/07/2017.

Gulati, Ashok, Ruth Meinzen-Dick and K. V. Raju. 2005. Indian Irrigantion and Institutional Reforms. New Delhi: SAGE Publications.