280
systems for reviving the traditional water management technologies and sustainable
agricultural practices (Boakye and Akpor 2012; Dutta 2015; Sultana 2009).
The ethnic communities living in different geo-hydrological and environmental
settings across the world have evolved and adopted different traditional systems of
water management, such as Subak in Bali island, Muang Fai in Northern Thailand,
Zanjeria in the north-west of the Philippines, Mirab irrigation in Afghanistan, Kuhls
in Western Himalaya, Johad and Khadin in Rajasthan, Ahar-pyne in south Bihar,
Phad irrigation in Maharashtra, bamboo drip irrigation in Meghalaya, Zabo in
Nagaland and Bogo in Apatani Valley of Arunachal Pradesh (Baker 2007; Fischer
2017; McTaggart 1989; Negi and Kandpal 2003; Sarma and Goswami 2015; Singh
and Gupta 2002; Watson et al. 1998). They have evolved these systems to sustain
their agriculture and associated livelihoods applying community efforts and their
traditional understanding of the geological, physiographic and agro-climatic conditions of the respective area (Strauch and Almedom 2011). As these systems are
developed through traditional knowledge of the local environment and natural
resources and the collective efforts and co-operation of the native communities,
these are eco-friendly in character and also economically viable, culturally acceptable and more or less socially just (Koul et al. 2012).
The local communities in the Bhutan Himalayan foothill zone of Assam have
traditionally developed an irrigation system of their own, locally called dong-bandh
system, to cope with their peculiar foothill environment. The dong-bandh system
practised in the area is entirely based on the traditional knowledge, locally available
resources, common efforts and voluntary participation of the diverse communities
living in the area. However, very recently under the influence of some emerging
social and economic factors, the traditional dong-bandh practice has to face some
problems like decline in community participation due to change in the cropping pattern, growing out-migration of people and expanding scope for non-farm employment. The problems have been again accelerated by the processes of large-scale
siltation, illegal quarrying, reckless tree cutting on the hill slopes and the growing
population pressure on the limited land resources. The present work is thus an
attempt to investigate the evolution of the indigenous water management systems in
the area and the processes and patterns of water use in agriculture and the sustainability of agriculture and rural livelihoods in the context of the changing physical
and social environment of the area.
16.2 Objectives and Methodology
The study aims at (i) tracing out the origin and development of traditional water
management systems in the foothill village and (ii) assessing its role in agricultural
development and rural livelihood sustainability.
The study is based on personal field observation and the data collected through a
purposively designed schedule-cum-questionnaire during 2017–2018. Relevant
secondary data were procured from the Dong (Canal) Committee Office, published
S. Saha et al.
systems for reviving the traditional water management technologies and sustainable
agricultural practices (Boakye and Akpor 2012; Dutta 2015; Sultana 2009).
The ethnic communities living in different geo-hydrological and environmental
settings across the world have evolved and adopted different traditional systems of
water management, such as Subak in Bali island, Muang Fai in Northern Thailand,
Zanjeria in the north-west of the Philippines, Mirab irrigation in Afghanistan, Kuhls
in Western Himalaya, Johad and Khadin in Rajasthan, Ahar-pyne in south Bihar,
Phad irrigation in Maharashtra, bamboo drip irrigation in Meghalaya, Zabo in
Nagaland and Bogo in Apatani Valley of Arunachal Pradesh (Baker 2007; Fischer
2017; McTaggart 1989; Negi and Kandpal 2003; Sarma and Goswami 2015; Singh
and Gupta 2002; Watson et al. 1998). They have evolved these systems to sustain
their agriculture and associated livelihoods applying community efforts and their
traditional understanding of the geological, physiographic and agro-climatic conditions of the respective area (Strauch and Almedom 2011). As these systems are
developed through traditional knowledge of the local environment and natural
resources and the collective efforts and co-operation of the native communities,
these are eco-friendly in character and also economically viable, culturally acceptable and more or less socially just (Koul et al. 2012).
The local communities in the Bhutan Himalayan foothill zone of Assam have
traditionally developed an irrigation system of their own, locally called dong-bandh
system, to cope with their peculiar foothill environment. The dong-bandh system
practised in the area is entirely based on the traditional knowledge, locally available
resources, common efforts and voluntary participation of the diverse communities
living in the area. However, very recently under the influence of some emerging
social and economic factors, the traditional dong-bandh practice has to face some
problems like decline in community participation due to change in the cropping pattern, growing out-migration of people and expanding scope for non-farm employment. The problems have been again accelerated by the processes of large-scale
siltation, illegal quarrying, reckless tree cutting on the hill slopes and the growing
population pressure on the limited land resources. The present work is thus an
attempt to investigate the evolution of the indigenous water management systems in
the area and the processes and patterns of water use in agriculture and the sustainability of agriculture and rural livelihoods in the context of the changing physical
and social environment of the area.
16.2 Objectives and Methodology
The study aims at (i) tracing out the origin and development of traditional water
management systems in the foothill village and (ii) assessing its role in agricultural
development and rural livelihood sustainability.
The study is based on personal field observation and the data collected through a
purposively designed schedule-cum-questionnaire during 2017–2018. Relevant
secondary data were procured from the Dong (Canal) Committee Office, published
S. Saha et al.