Field Survey in Alabujanahalli

As part of my doctoral thesis, I conducted field survey in Alabujanahalli, a village in the Mandya district of southern Karnataka. The village was first surveyed by the Foundation for Agrarian Studies in 2009 and I re-surveyed the village in 2019 and 2022. The village's key characteristics are illustrated through images captured during these surveys. 

Better Access to Irrigation 

The construction of the ‘Krishnarajasagara’ dam across the Cauvery river in the 1930s, followed by subsequent expansion of irrigation significantly shaped the agrarian landscape and livelihood of the Mandya region. The irrigation brought a large area under cultivation, particularly the area under wet crops such as paddy and sugarcane. 

Alabujanahalli receives water from the channel originating in the Sulekere reservoir, which, in turn fed by the Cauvery River. The Sulekkere reservoir was constructed in 1896, spread across 6630 acres of land. Mandya has many such artificial reservoirs and series of irrigation channels, providing water to number of villages and contributing to the agricultural prosperity of the region. Apart from cultivation, sericulture and animal husbandry also important economic activities in the village.

Public amenities like a public school, PDS (Public Distribution System) shops, piped water, and a diary unit, are all present in the village.