AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

FAMINES

FAMINES.-Kolhapur district, with its good rainfall and rich land especially in the valleys of the Dudhaganga, Krishna, Varna, and Panchaganga, is usually free from famine. Owing to failure of crops in some outlying parts of the former State, on account of scarcity of rain, prices have been occasionally high: but except in 1876-77 no famine was recorded. Even in 1876-77 distress was caused more by the condition of the surrounding British districts than by a total failure of crops in Kolhapur State.

1804-05.

In 1804-05, in Kolhapur, though the season was tolerably good, the people suffered from scarcity of food which is said to have been caused by the devastations of the Maratha army in the interior of the Maratha country. All the starving persons from the neighbouring Maratha areas flocked to Kolhapur for relief. There was a great pressure on local supplies and the rupee price of grain rose to seven pounds and a half. The number of deaths from starvation was also considerable. Shivaji, the then ruling prince of Kolhapur, as well as Himmat Bahadar, Bhim Bahadar, and other sardars and well-to-do persons, distributed food to the starving people who had flocked to Kolhapur from other places. The following year was a year of plenty and the people soon recovered from the effects of this distress.

In 1876-77, the scanty rainfall of twenty-six inches led to a failure of crops, which following the bad crops of the previous year, by reason of which there was no grain in store, spread distress amounting to famine. The East suffered most. While scarcity prevailed in the rest of the Kolhapur State, famine had full sway in these parts. For weeks together people lived on herbs mixed with chaff and sometimes committed petty thefts to satisfy hunger. When the 1876-77 monsoon set in very sparingly, husbandmen became alarmed and grain-dealers who had only small grain stores gradually raised prices. Things looked gloomy, but it was not till the first week of October that the full extent of the calamity was felt. It was a week of name. Prices suddenly rose; village traders, moneylenders, and well-to-do persons, whose grain stocks had been already reduced by successive bad seasons, did not like to deplete their stocks further and refused to make advances to husbandmen on the usual security of their field produce; there was no field work; and the people clamoured for relief works. At first small works were opened by the State to give immediate relief to Mangs, Mahars, and other classes more or less given to theft, who would otherwise have taken to wholesale plundering. Though the wages on the relief work were lower in the beginning than the ordinary rate in the State, subsequently the sliding scale based on the price of staple foodgrain, fixed by the British Government, was strictly adhered to.

In November 1876, relief works were first opened in Shirol and Ichalkaranji in the East where distress began to be felt early and in the hilly parts of Vishalgad in the West where distress already prevailed owing to failure of crops in 1875. As the number of relief-seekers increased in December and January, earthworks were started all over the State. The number of labourers became large. The number was doubled and it went on steadily increasing till September, when it began to fall off gradually up to the end of November when all relief works were finally closed.

From July 1877, the Imperial Public Works department took charge of some of the relief-works carried on a large scale. To these works were transferred large numbers of able bodied labourers with their children under seven years. The total cost on relief-works amounted to Rs. 2,60,300.

Besides these works, gratuitous relief was given to those who were unable to work. In Kolhapur and in the feudatory States under it there were already several permanent charitable houses. The scope of these was enlarged soon after the scarcity began to be generally felt. As the distress increased, new relief-houses were opened at convenient places. In all, there were eighteen relief-houses. The inmates of Kolhapur alms-houses were on two occasions supplied with clothing from personal donations. The gratuitous relief cost the State Rs. 56,800.

As the agricultural seasons of 1877 approached, advances were made to a large number of cultivators who would other wise have been left without any means of cultivating their fields, as they had neither credit nor the means of buying food or seed grain.

The average number of deaths for the three preceding years ending 1875-76 was 13,792. In the famine year of 1876-77, it rose to 28,573 or more than doubled. The increased death-rate was more due to cholera, diarrhoea, small-pox, and other epidemics which broke up in the hot season of 1877, than due to actual starvation. The harvest of 1877 was fair, but the affected people who had been weakened by their previous suffering died in large numbers especially along the hills. The poorer classes suffered most. In some of the villages all families of husbandmen deserted their villages and were not heard of afterwards. The loss of cattle was great. Many dhangars (shepherds) living in the hilly parts lost all their cattle, owing partly to want of fodder and partly to cattle diseases which accompanied other epidemics. Well-to-do people did not actually seek State relief, but lost all they had. Ornaments, metal pots, spare clothing, and even family idols were freely sold.

1896-97.

This famine was caused by irregular rainfall and the whole of former Kolhapur State was affected. The tract, dependent for the most part of Kharif crops, received abundant rains in the beginning of the monsoon. In several places the rainfall was so heavy as to necessitate resowing. But beyond a few scattered showers there was practically no rain in the latter part of the season.

The collection and breaking or road metal and construction of new tanks and roads and repairs to the old ones were the measures considered suitable to relieve the population of the distress. Gratuitous relief was given to the adult dependents of the famine stricken persons who were working on the relief works and also to children under seven years of age. A sum of Rs. 31,354 was spent in this way on 4,140 persons. Poor houses were opened for the destitute and the weak, at Panhala, Bambawade, Bajarbhogaon, Gargoti, Valevade, Tirawade, Gadhinglaj and Kolhapur. The number of persons fed in this way was 48,785 and Rs. 3.393 were expended. Cash doles amounting to Rs. 8,512 were distributed among 3,237 persons. Cheap grain shops were also opened by private persons. The State opened its forests for cattle grazing.

The agriculturists received tagai loans against the security of their land, the total amount so distributed being Rs. 46,074. The distressed inferior village servants also received relief by way of cash doles.

All these relief measures were withdrawn after the middle of November, 1897. The total amount spent by the State for famine relief during the year 1896-97 was Rs. 3,14,493.

1899-1900.

Shirol taluka was the worst hit by this famine which was caused by the failure of rains. The conditions in other parts of the State were, however, not so serious. The relief works opened consisted of deepening of old wells and construction of new ones, construction of new tanks and approach roads to the bridges on the Nipani-Phonda Ghat Road. Temporary dams were built across the river in Shirol taluka at various places. The government ordered cutting of grass and trees which were to be sold at cost price to the needy persons. Wages were paid on a sliding scale basis, thus enabling the weak and the infirm to earn a fair wage; those who had non-working dependents to support obtained a higher rate.

Two poor houses were opened in Shirol taluka and one was opened at Vadgaon and 6,420 persons, housed in them. The merchants and the rich distributed cooked food free of charge at Kolhapur and other big centres. Government servants getting Rs. 15 and less received compensation in kind on a sliding scale basis i.e., in proportion to the rise in price of the stable food viz., jowar. The allowance was to be given till the harvest of new crop of that year (that is, till jowar became cheaper). Rs. 12,400 were distributed as loans. Doles given in kind were valued at Rs. 1,732.

1905-06.

The character of the season of 1905-06, was far from satisfactory. The rainfall was much deficient of the average throughout the eastern part of the State. Tank works were started at Shirol and Kolhapur and the labourers were paid on piece-rate basis. Gratuitous relief was granted to children and non-working dependants of the workers. Low paid State employees received compensation in kind. The agriculturists were given tagai loans for sinking new wells and for reconditioning old ones. The holders of alienated villages also received advances to enable them to grant relief to the distressed persons in their villages.

1925-26.

In 1925-26, Shirol peta once again suffered from shortage of rains and, as a result, the Government postponed the collection of land revenue (amounting to Rs. 20,000) in the taluka till the beginning of next year.

1926-27.

In 1926-27, the Shirol peta once again witnessed failure of rains and the distressing effects thereof. To alleviate the sufferings of the people, famine works were started. Some relief was also afforded by extending the time for crediting land revenue in six villages.

1941-42.

Scanty rainfall in Shirol peta in 1941-42 necessitated governmental inquiry into the extent of suffering and misery and the need for relief measures. After due inquiries, it was decided to grant suspension and remission of land revenue. Recovery of dues from co-operative societies was postponed. The execution of decrees in mortgage cases and madat suits was suspended till March 1943. Recovery of land revenue instalments etc., was postponed from January 1942 to March 1943.

NOTE ON CHANDGAD TALUKA.

1955-56.

In 1955-56, Chandgad Taluka formed a part of Belgaum District which was transferred to Mysore State at the time of Reorganization of State (in 1956-57). Chandgad Taluka, how ever, became a part of the Bombay State and was merged with the district of Kolhapur. In 1951, population of this taluka was 80,513 and was entirely rural. Agriculture was the main stay of 73,797 persons (nearly 90 per cent), including self-supporting persons and their dependants, both earning and non-earning. Majority of them were the cultivating owners, numbering 40,873, who worked on their own farms; the number of tenant cultivators was 28,207 and that of agricultural labourers 3,625. The non-cultivating owner, who rented their land, numbered 1,092.

The geographical area of this taluka was 2,38,037 acres in 1955-56 of which 68,977 acres were under forests and 84,034 acres, under crops. Area sown more than once was of the order of 3,572 acres, giving thus a gross cropped area of 87,606 acres which was entirely under kharif crops. There were 64,411 acres under food-crop and 23,195 acres, under non-food-crops. Rice, ragi and sava were important among cereals, horsegram among pulses and sweet potato among vegetables. The area under fodder crops (grass and babuls) was 22,021 acres. Well irrigation was predominant. There were 665 masonry and non-masonry wells, all privately owned. Among other sources were private canals, tanks, etc. The net area irrigated by all these sources was 3,652 acres which was about nine per cent. of the net area sown.

Under the Bombay Prevention of Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1947, the range of standard areas applicable to various types of land in this taluka is as follows:-

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