ACTION PLAN PROPOSAL ON

RAINFED AREA DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMME
OF

ARIGELAVARI PALLE
MADDELACHERUVU PALLI &
VITTALAM

Submitted
COMMISSIONER & DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE, A.P.,
HYDERABAD.

Submitted by

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE,

(SOIL CONSERVATION), MADANAPALLE SubDivision,
CHITTOOR District.

FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF

RADPACTION PLAN

1. Report on Action Plan:

Arigelavari palli habitation belongs to Settivaripalli minor panchayat in
Gurramkonda

mandal,

Maddelacheruvupalli

minor

panchayat

of

chintaparthy inValmikipuram Mandal and Vittalam minor panchayat

of ..Valmikipuram Mandal Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh.
Assistant Director of Agriculture, (Soil Conservation), Tirupati
facilitating RADP Action Plan. The present report is a Feasibility Study
Report prepared by Assistant Director of Agriculture, (Soil
Conservation) for implementation of Action Plan an activity that
gives details of data collected through various sources, status, analysis,
issues, probable interventions and budget requirements. This is a
report

on

RADP

submitted to

Commissioner

&

Director

of

Agriculture, A.P., Hyderabad for sanction and necessary guidance.

RAINFED AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Rainfed areas assume special significance in terms of ecology,
agriculture productivity and livelihood for rural households in India.
These areas not only constitute about three-fourth of the land mass
under arid, semi-arid and dry-humid zones, but also account for nearly
57% of the agricultural land spread across large parts of the country.
Rainfed agriculture is complex diverse and risk-prone activity. However,
Rainfed areas if managed properly have the potential to contribute a
larger share the food grain production. These high potential rainfed
areas provide us with opportunities for faster agricultural growth
compared to irrigated areas.
The basic Premise of the proposed programme is to encourage
exploitation of the potential of different farming systems based upon
the natural resource assets endowments (Ponds, Land development
Nursery etc.,) created either by the farmers or through schemes like
MNREGA, RKVY, NHM and Watershed development Projects. This will
act as a catalept to accomplish the ultimate objective of enhanced
productivity, minimizing the risk of crop losses due to uncertainties of
weather conditions harnessing efficiency of resources, assuring food
and livelihood income security at farm level and strengthen the
farmers capacity to adopt to climate changes.
OBJECTIVE:
The programme aims at improving the quality of life of farmers
especially small and marginal farmers by offering a complete package
of activities to maximize the farm returns for enhancing his / her food
and livelihood security. The broad objectives are

Increasing the agricultural productivity of rainfed areas in a

sustainable manner by adopting appropriate farming system
approaches.

To minimize the adverse impact of possible crop failure due to

drought, flood or un-even rainfall distribution through diversified
and composite farming system.

Restoration of confidence in rainfed agriculture by creating

sustained employment opportunities through improved on-farm
technologies and cultivation practices.

Enhancement of farmers income and livelihood support for

reduction of poverty in rainfed areas.

Convergence

of

relevant

developmental

programmes

for

optimum utilization of resources by establishing an integrated

and coordinated system involving different sectors and
institutions.
The Major strategies to be adopted under the programme are
1. Farmer centric approach focusing mainly on small and marginal
farmers for promoting the concept of a diversified farming
system involving crops, plantation, pasture and live stock farming
to sustain the livelihood and food security at farm level.
2. Adopting of a cluster approach in a village or an area of not less
than 25 Ha. (May or may not be contiguous) would be preferred
for investments to utilize the potential of available common
resources.
Area of operation:
All the rainfed areas having large extent of cultivable land and
potential for increasing agriculture productivity are covered under
RADP.
Project Management and Approval:
The RADP will be implemented as a sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi
Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The Village Development Plans (VDPs) should be
prepared and will be approved by a District Level Committee.
District Level Sanction Committee
1. District Collector
2. Joint Director of Agriculture
3. Deputy Project Director, ATMA
4. Deputy Director of Agriculture /
Asst. Director of Agriculture (SC)
5. Scientist from DAATC/KVK
6. Representation from the
Dept. of Horticulture
7. Representation from the Department of
Animal Husbandry
8. One farmer from identified Cluster

Chairman
Member/ Convener
Member
Member
Member
Member
-

Member

Member

All the inputs under primary and functional activities suggested by

State Level Committee should be adopted at the cluster level.
Flow of funds:

The amount will be released from RKVY.

The

State

Nodal

Unit

will

release

the

amounts

to

the

implementing agency through the Director, SAMETI.

All the implementing Deputy Director of Agriculture / Assistant

Director of Agriculture (Soil Conservation) should not exceed
more than 0.5% of the total project cost of the concerned district
to meet the Administrative cost, Contingencies and Transport &
Out sourcing.

For

workshops,

Seminars,

Conferences,

Exhibitions,

farmer

awareness Campaigns the cost should not exceed 0.5% of the

total project cost of the concerned district.

1% of the State project cost will be retained at the State Head

Quarters to meet the State Contingencies, Transportation,
Workshops, engagement of Consultants.

Criteria for selection of villages under RADP Programme

Based on Agro climate conditions, Madanapalle sub-division of Chittoor
District has been identified in semi arid zones. Under this programme
3 villages have been identified for implementation of this programme
in Madanapalle sub-division 2011-2012 on pilot basis.
In Madanapalle
Sub Division 3 villages have been identified
i.e.Arigelavaripalle
village
of
Gurramkonda
Mandal,
Maddelacheruvupalli
of Valmikipuram Mandal and Vittalam of
Valmikipuram Mandal have been selected which comes under arid
zone and semiarid zones. This villages has been identified in ongoing
watershed programme implementing during XI Five Year Plan (200708to 2011-12) under NWDPRA.
Further, each village has been divided in to 2 clusters totally
comprising of 6 clusters with an area of 200.18 Ha. in Madanapalle
sub-division. In each cluster an area of not less than 25 Ha has been
identified and in this cluster each farmer has been supported by
financial assistance of Rs. 50000/- per ha to take up the following

activities and also Chittoor District is a major oil seed growing area and
hence oil based crop system has been adopted i.e., groundnut under
primary activities in addition to live stock based farming systems.

Under functional activities the following activities have been

identified in the clusters.
A. Functional Activities:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Horticulture Based Farming System

Silage Making
Agro Forestry/Others
Farm Mechanization

B. Farm Machinery:
1.
2.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Vermi Compost Units

Water harvesting and management Activities
Sprinklers
Drip
Farm Ponds
Water Carrying Pipes

C. In-situ Moisture Conservation

a. Field Bunding
D. Administration Cost
Training and skill development activities of all stakeholders on the
benefits of IFS would be extended through ICAR centers, SAVS, KVKS,
FMTTIS and State Level Training Centers.

Abbreviations: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Cum
Ha
Ac
Irri
Kg
Km
m
cm
H
mm
NA
Qtl
Qty
Rs
Sq.m
@
%
Rf
DRDA
DWMA
NREGS
SHG
NRM
IPM

Cubic Meter
Hectares
Acres
Irrigated
Kilograms
Kilometers
Meter
Centimeter
Height
Millimeter
Not
available
/Not
Applicable
Quintal
Quantity
Rupees
Square Meter
At the rate of
Percentage
Rain fed
Dist. Rural Development
Agency
Dist. Water Management
Agency
National
Rural
Employment
Guarantee Scheme
Self Help Groups
Natural
Resource
Management
Integrated
Pest
Management

Soil Texture
Code
Rsl
Rl
Cod
s
l
A
sl
B
sil
C
cl
D
ls
E
sc
sic
scl
Cod
sicl
e
d1
d2
d3
d4
d5

Soil Texture
Red sandy loams
Red loamy
%Sandy
Slopesoils
Loamy soils
<1
Silty soils
1-3
Silty loams
3-5
Clay loams
5-10
Loamy sand
10-15
Sandy Clay
Silty clays
Sandy Clay loam
Soil Depth in Cm
Silt clay loam
Less than 7.5 cm (3 inches)
7.5 22.5 cm
(3 to 9 inches)
22.5 45 cm
(9 to 18
inches)
45 - 90 cm
(18 to 36
inches)
More than 90 cm (> 36 inches)

Erodability
Cod
Type of erosion
e
e1
Sheet erosion
e2
Rill erosion
e3
Small gullied erosion
e4
Severe gullied erosion

Slope

Soil Depth

RAINFED AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

(RADP)

VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF

Vittalam of Valmikipuram Mandal of
Madanapalle Sub Division for the year 20112012

Assistant Director of Agriculture

[Soil Conservation] Madanapalle
Chittoor District

The Pulicherla mandal is located North side of district head quarters. The Mandal
covers an extent of 143.16Sq. Mts. The Normal rainfall of the Mandal is 920.00mm.
Chandragiri Mandal on the East and Rompicherla and Chinnagottigallu by North.
The Pakala Mandal on the South side and West by Piler and Sadum Mandals. It is
situated on Damalcheruvu to Kalluru, 5k.ms away from Kalluru towards Easthern
side.
The climate of the mandal is dry and hot. The Pulicherla mandal consists of 15
Revenue villages and 195 Hamllets with a population of 38,554 as per the 2001
census and 24 and 1 Gram panchayats in the mandal. The major portion of the
Mandal is covered by Red soils and Sandy soils.
There are no rivers flowing in the mandal. There are a number of small hilly streams
flowing in the Mandal.
The agriculture is mainly depending on rains and irrigation under tanks and bore
wells. The total registered ayacut under the 192 Minor Irrigation sources is 1409.30
ha. Farmers normally raise paddy, groundnut and vegetables through this irrigation
facility.
Farmers usually grow Groundnut, Red gram, millets and cereals with the support of
rainwater. The mandal is well known for Horticulture crops.
There are 7 Factories in the Mandal which contribute for the economic development
of the Mandal for example granite industry, Mango pulp and etc.,

A BRIEF NOTE ON THE VITTALAM VILLAGE UNDER RAINFED AREA

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The Rainfed Area Development Programme for rainfed areas is being implemented
in twelve villages in Chittoor district. Out of which Vittalam is one among them. The
Vittalam village is one of the backward villages in Chittoor district with no river
courses and canal systems. This village is located 105.Kms from the District Head
Quarter and 25Kms from Madanapalle sub-division which is located on bus route of
Madanapalle to Tirupati.
The total area proposed under RADP is Ha. The soils are red sandy looms
with 4 to 6% slope. The annual rainfall of this village is 756.mm. Most of the arable
lands are dry lands depending on rainfall. Due to erratic rainfall the village is often
affected by drought conditions. Due to high percentage of slope in dry lands, the
soils are mostly affected to soil erosion and this loosing the valuable top soil which
results low yield of dry land crops. The major common crops that are being
cultivated in this village are Groundnut and Redgram. In severe drought conditions
it is a problem to meet the livelihood for the people in the village and also fodder
for the cattle.
To improve the economic conditions of the people of the village and also conserve
the soil and moisture conditions in the village and to make self sufficiency in all
respects i.e., employment generation throughout the year food production, fodder
and pasture development by utilizing all the nature resources available in the
village are being implemented to improve the RADP in all aspects.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

THE

VILLAGE

UNDER

RAINFED

AREA

The village selected is predominantly rainfed farming area. The major portion
of the food production comes from dry lands only.

These dry lands are subjected to vagrancies of monsoon coupled with low
productivity and exposed for centuries for periodic droughts soil erosion and
uncertain crop yields.

Crop production in these areas is greatly affected by un even erratic

distribution of rainfall.

High rainfall intensities have accelerated soil erosion with little scope for
infiltration of rainwater in to soil as the fields are not protected with moisture
conservation measures. The fertile top soil is being eroded with rainwater
leaving the soils with little or no soil depth for sufficient plant growth.

The irrigation tanks are being silted up with silt carried by runoff water, thus
reducing the storage capacity of the tanks as the catchment areas of the
tanks are not treated with soil conservation measures.

There is no forest in the village area the hillocks have no vegetative cover and
they are barren, hot climate prevails during summer season.

DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL:
The farmers of this village area are mostly small and marginal, but they are
deceptive of latest dry land technology. Due to their poor economic conditions they
are not in a position to implement the scientific rainfed farming practices to obtain
sustained yield. In order to increase the crop yield the incentives in the shape of
inputs like high yielding varieties of seed, fertilizers and pesticides and improved
agricultural implements is to be provided to enable the farming community for
adoption of improved dry land technology. There is more potential for developing
the rainfed farming in this village. This villages was further divided in to 2 clusters,
Vittalmcluster I with an area of 34.14 ha and Vittalmcluster II with an area of
33.76 ha.
The Natural resources and other sources Vittalam cluster I and II given
below.
Natural Resources and Other sources
1

Tanks

1.851 Ramaswamy Cheruvu

2.Same Reddy Kunta
3.Voddi Cheruvu
4.Kotha Cheruvu
5.Meesala Damanna Kunta
6.Nosalu Kunta
7.Aguva Cheruvu

Mini percolation Tanks

1 no. Mini percolation Tank

Constructed
under
NWDPRA
watershed (2008-09)

Farm Ponds

3 no. Farm Ponds

under MGNREGS

Gully Control Works

51 no. of Gully Control Works

under NWDPRA Watershed

Check dams

Near Pandulollagudise 1 no with

MLA funds

constructed

Sl
.
N
o
1

Habitation Name

Vittalam
Harijanawada
Vittalam

Kundellavari Palli

Pandulavanigudiselu

Gram
Panchay
at
Vittalam

No. of
Househ
olds

Total
population
Mal
e

Femal
e

Households
S
C

ST

BC

Other
s

Sand

Gravel

Textural class

SCL

60

IV

SL

60

IV

SL

70

IV

SCL

60

II

SL

70

IV

SL

60

IV

SL

80

II

SCL

60

II

SCL

60

IV

SL

70

III

Sl.
No

10

Surve
y no

Soil
Type

PH

EC

6.8
5
6.7
0
6.5
4
6.7
0
6.7
5
6.7
5
6.6
5
6.8
4
6.7
5
6.5
6

0.2
2
0.1
6
0.1
4
0.1
6
0.2
6
0.3
8
0.1
7
0.1
6
0.1
7
0.1
4

Organic carbon

Silt

Soil texture

Clay

Soil Depth(Cm)

SOILS: Soil Survey Studies

159

52

159

46

159

42

159

37

159

36

159

35

159

35

159

42

159

31

159

39

29
5
36
2
38
7
45
5
37
0
35
4
29
5
35
4
30
7
35
4