Journal of the Association of Engineers, India

B. N. Banerjee ¹

Affiliations
1 West Bengal State Electricity Board, IN

Abstract

Out of 5,66,878 number of villages (Mouzas) in the States and Territories of Indian Union only 16% had been electrified by March 1970 and 18.6% by March 71 and the need for more and more rural electrification is now being felt all over the country than ever before. Not only it is needed to improve the present irrigation facility thereby increasing the food production for feeding the rapidly growing population and consequently saving the country’s valuable foreign exchange for importing more essential materials and finished goods not available or produced yet in the country but with the gradual uplift of village economy also to provide minimum living facilities and amenities of everyday life to rural population who could thus enjoy the standard of living tolerably comparable to that of urban population.

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B. N. Banerjee ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Agriculture and Community Development, Government of West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Utilization of underground water for irrigating crops by drilling tubewells had been in practice in very small isolated areas for about the last 25-30 years. But a systematic study of this utilization was not thought of till the country launched its first ‘Grow More Food Campaign’ by about 1942-43. But then a few years of favourable rainfall with consequent high farm output acted as a brake on the zeal and enthusiasm in this direction. Nature, however, declined to remain friendly for all years to come and deficient rainfall leading to drought conditions continued to prevail, and the country was facing heavy food deficit to feed an enormously rising population with heavy decline in farm output.

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