A LOW COST DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR ADOPTION IN JHUM CULTIVATION AREAS IN NAGALAND FOR FOOD SECURITY

Abstract

Nagaland is a small hill state situated in the northeastern region of India, which is bounded by the state of Assam in the we the south, Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam on the north and Myanmar on the east. It lies between 25º 6 and 93º 20 and 95º 15 eastern longitude. The state has a geographical area of 16,579 sq. km. constituting barely 0.5% of In geographical area and a population of about 20 lakh representing only 0.2% of the country’s population (Government of India 2011). T state is predominantly rural and 82.26% of its population lives in villages with strong dependence on natural resources (Gove Nagaland 2012). The Nagas, the people of Nagaland are a group of indigenous people recognized as a ‘tribal group’ under the Constitution of India. The Nagas by being people of the hills have always depended on the natural environment for sustenance, and livelihood. Availability of arable land being limited in most of the districts, the dynamics of people importance for the people of the state. Almost 90% of the land in Nagaland is under private or community owne forests and shifting cultivation areas. Shifting cultivation or practice across Nagaland. Shifting (jhum) cultivation is an integral part of the Naga people to it as most of the social festivals and ceremonies are rooted in the shifting cultivation cycle. In order to wean away shifting cultivators from the practice, the government introduced numerous cash crop well as permanent land-use alternatives, but most of them did not succeed. In the process, shifting cultivation was completely ignored and farmers rarely received any support from government agencies for improving shifting cultiva continues to be widely practiced by farmers as this is perhaps the most suitable system adopted in response to the natural en and physiographic condition of the region. One of the biggest external factors th unsupportive central government policy, which often referred to shifting cultivation as unproductive, primitive, unsustainabl destructive to the environment. Such misconceptions by policy contributing to the development of shifting cultivation as a practice. Rather all interventions on shifting cultivators were eradicating the practice without providing a substitute system that is form is sustainable. On the contrary, the practice is faced severe constraints due mainly to population growth and intensific Jhum cycle. In light of the above, it is now time goal would be assured supply of irrigation to increase productivity leading to food security of hill farmers of Nagaland. In low cost drip irrigation system is suggested for adoption in Jhum cultivation areas after sufficient number of field trials.