CHAPTER-4
LIMITATIONS
4.1.1 The Second Census of Minor Irrigation Works, has been completed by the States/UTs on various dates in a span of about five years. A number of difficulties were encountered by the States in its completion. Depending on the gap between the reference year and the date of census, the reliability of data varies. Smaller the gap, more reliable the data collected. Despite best efforts by the Minor Irrigation Census Commissioners in the States, certain limitations remain in this report to be looked into in future census operation. Broadly these limitations are elaborated in the following paragraphs.
4.2.1 Census of minor irrigation works could not be completed in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu, as yet. In Gujarat and Maharashtra the work has been held up due to non-cooperation of talaties, the primary enumerators. In Gujarat, the census work could be completed in only two districts, while more than 70 percent work was completed in four other districts. In Maharashtra, the census work could be completed in only three districts, while in remaining districts, it is at different stages of completion. Although the Government of Karnataka & Tamilnadu completed the census work, the scrutiny of the data revealed that there are a number of discrepancies in the data.
4.2.2 The data contained in the village schedules has not been collected during census by some of the States such as J&K and Manipur.
4.3.1 The correction factors were to be worked out on the basis of 5 percent sample checks to assess the under-enumeration or over-enumeration of data but most of the States have not worked out such factor.
4.4
INCONSISTANCIES/EXPLANATIONS
4.4.1 The census figures relating to irrigation potential created/utilised in respect of ground water schemes has exceeded the corresponding utilisable irrigation potential figures given by the Central Ground Water Board in case of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. As per the view expressed by CGWB, this is due to the fact that while working out utilisable resource, only the annual ground water recharge is taken into account and also due to over-exploitation of dynamic resource and development of ground water from deeper levels (confined aquifers). On account of this, there is continuous decline of ground water levels and/or decline in piezometric head.