A GEOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF IRRIGATED AREA UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION PROJECTS IN SOLAPUR DISTRICT – A GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVE
Keywords:
Irrigation projectsAbstract
The semi-arid Solapur district of Maharashtra faces persistent water scarcity and erratic rainfall, making irrigation projects indispensable for agricultural development. This study examines spatial and temporal variations in irrigated area across minor, medium, and major irrigation projects during 2013–14, 2017–18, and 2023–24. Using secondary data from official reports, census abstracts, and district-level statistics, supplemented by field observations, the analysis covers taluka-wise trends through absolute and percentage growth rates, cartographic techniques, and thematic representations. Findings reveal that the total irrigated area in Solapur district nearly tripled (+190.91%) over the decade, with major projects contributing the highest expansion (+358.14%). Minor projects also grew significantly (+177.62%), while medium projects remained stagnant (+5.34%), leading to sharp regional disparities. High-growth tahsils such as Mohol (+1262.48%), Mangalwedha (+885.15%), and Pandharpur (+765.18%) benefited from large-scale canal and reservoir development, whereas Barshi (-5.24%), Malshiras (-37.40%), and Akkalkot (-32.38%) registered stagnation or decline due to contraction in medium irrigation sources.
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References
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