Evaluation of benefits from harvested rain water in farm ponds

Farm ponds constructed in the Navsari Agricultural University (NAU) campus, were evaluated with an aim to quantify the benefits derived and to assess the economic feasibility ofpond during 2011. The study in NAU campus was taken up as its watersheds are perfect representation of western coast of India and the developments made act as demonstration for students and farmers. The main benefit was creation of irrigation facility in the uncultivable waste lands. In addition to providing regular irrigation during rabi and summer seasons, one or two supplementary irrigations in paddy during dry spells in monsoon season catapulted production levels. Prior to construction of pond, Live Stock Research Station (LRS) used to purchase fodder worth lakhs of rupees, due to lack of irrigation facility. Poor quality drinking water (around 5 dS m⁻¹) was provided to the aninlals affecting health and milk production. After construction of pond, animals were provided with better quality ofdrinking water (< 2 dS m⁻¹) from the well located at the boundary of pond which improved animals health as well as production levels. Moreover, pond provides great aesthetic value to the campus. Health cautions denizens, birds oftheregionas well as manymigratory birds were found hovering over the pond. Recreational relevancy coefficient calculated from responses of the sample respondents showed high value for irrigation (0.88), scenic beauty (0.87) and biodiversity conservation (0.87). The economic benefits from the ponds show, BCR in almost all crops except paddy, was above 2 which underlines the alternate land use by cultivating grasses which have a great demand in dairy farms. Highest BCR was obtained while growing fodder maize and lucerne grass (2.54). Sugarcane and banana, both cash crops, though require more water, recorded BCR of 2.03 and 2.34, respectively. The Net Present Worth (NPW) and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) ofpond was found to be greater than zero and greater than I, respectively which proves the worth of ponds. Cost ofdigging the PG hostel pond and spreading ofearth in the low lying fields was 7.5 lakbs only giving BCR of 17.30. These results prove that ponds not only give several invaluahle intangihle henefit… hut also provide very high monetary returns. The results could help the policy makers, planners and researchers while assessing the performance of ponds or other rain water harvesting structures (RWHS) under watershed development programmes.