In this study, the cost of groundwater extraction, impact of groundwater depletion on farm income, wateruse efficiency, technical efficiency in crop production and costs of groundwater depletion among different categories of farmers have been reported. The study has been conducted in the Chamarajanagar district of the Karnataka state, where groundwater is the major source of irrigation. Data have been collected from over-exploited, semi-critical and safe villages. The study has shown a wide difference between large and small farms in their access to groundwater resource in terms of cost. The functional analysis has revealed that farm income is lower in over-exploited and semi-critical villages compared to safe villages. The mean technical efficiency in... |