Water Access and Agrarian Livelihoods in Two Villages in the Marathwada Region

Abstract

The agricultural sector in India faces economic and ecological challenges, including rising input costs, market fluctuations, changing trade policies, water stress, and climatic variations. The impacts of these factors are not felt uniformly across all farm households. Some households become increasingly vulnerable while others adapt better. I take access to water as a point of departure in my research and present micro-level evidence from two villages in the Marathwada region in Maharashtra, which is known for water scarcity and drought, in addition to general backwardness. The study approaches the problem in three steps. First, I look at how livelihood choices differ between small and large farmer households. Second, I examine the factors and processes that determine groundwater access, and the impact on small farmer households. Finally, I look at the implications of cropping pattern changes on small farmer households, especially in exacerbating their vulnerability. The data were collected during 2022-23 using questionnaire surveys from a sample of 184 households, informant interviews, and field observations. I use a largely qualitative and case study approach to structure and analyse field data. Chapter 1 of the thesis presents the overall approach and framework of the study. Chapter 2 introduces the field site and explains the research methods. Chapters 3 to 5 report findings on livelihood choices, groundwater access and cropping pattern changes. Chapter 6 concludes the thesis by looking at the theoretical and policy implications of the study. This thesis eclectically draws upon three theoretical approaches, namely political economy, agrarian studies, and sustainable livelihoods. Chapter 3 shows that livelihood diversification is undertaken largely out of necessity and not as a choice. Various factors at the household, village, and regional scales play a role in decisions to diversify. Chapter 4 argues that groundwater dependence is the result of uncertainties in agriculture and generally livelihoods. Large farmers have the means to gain and sustain groundwater access whereas small farmer households face internal and external barriers. Chapter 5 finds that farm households have limited agency and are primarily responding to external signals while deciding their cropping pattern. Small and marginal farmers, especially, are more vulnerable. The thesis contributes to efforts to revise frameworks to assess sustainable livelihoods by adding empirical evidence on water access and livelihoods. The study is also relevant in the context of the debates around the effectiveness of programs such as Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan, Magel Tyala Shettale Yojana, and Nanaji Deshmukh Krushi Sanjivani Prakalp which focus on building sustainable livelihoods and improving the resilience of farm households in Maharashtra.