ABSTRACT
Water shortage is the primary limiting factor to expanding agriculture in hard rock terrain. Poor maintenance of these surface reservoirs during past several years caused insufficient storage. In addition the siltation in these reservoirs has reduced the recharge to the aquifer and the water stored in the reservoirs lost as evaporation during the first two months after the wet season. Estimated annual average recharge to the aquifer from the case studies conducted in dry and intermediate zones were 200 mm and 250 mm respectively. With the present recharge levels the farmers could cultivate only less than 1 ha. and the income from this cultivation is very marginal to uplift their living standards. Therefore there is a need to increase recharge to the aquifer.
