Irrigation
Engineer

Indias Irrigation Needs
and Strategies for
Development
Version 2 CE IIT, Kharagpur

InstructionalObjectives
On completionof this lesson,the studentshall come to know about the following:
How can the developmentin irrigationbe sustainable
What are the basic requirementsof irrigationand how can they be managed
What are irrigationschemes and how are they classified
What has the nationplannedabout irrigation
What are CommandArea developmentand participatoryIrrigationManagement
How can water be managedfor irrigation
What shouldbe the rationalefor pricingirrigationwater
. How has irrigationprogressedthroughages in India

°°.P7S":".°
3.1.0

Introduction

It is known fact that India has a very large populationand differentstudiesshow that it
will continueto rise at least till 2050 A.D. The United Nations publicationSustaining
Water - An Update, publishedin 1994 indicatesthat the populationof India by that time
couldvary between 1349 million(low projection)and 1980 million(high projection),with
a medium projected figure as 1640 million. At present the countrys food grain
availabilityis around523 grams per capita per day (thoughit varies significantlywith the
economiclevel). In China and USA, the correspondingfiguresare 980 grams and 2850
grams respectively.Assuminga populationfigure of 1800 million by 2050A.D, and a
small rise in per capita consumptionof food grain at about 650 grams, the annual
requirementof the countrywould be around430 milliontonnes. The presentproductivity
of irrigatedland is about 2.5 tonnes/hectareand Ies than 0.5 tonnes/hectarefor rainfed
lands. Assumingthat these levels can go up to 3.5 and 1.0 T/hr respectivelyby 2050
AD (which should be the urgent needs that has to be addressed to by the water
resource engineer), it is imperativethat the irrigationpotential of at least 130 million
hectare is created for food crop alone and 160 millionhectare for all cropsto be able to
meet the demandsof the countryby 2050 AD.
Since the land and water resourceof any countryis not goingto change much over the
years, the water resourceplanners have to make cautiousdecisionson optimizingthe
available resourcesfor maximum benefit. In the next section, we look into the options
availableand the decisionsthat may be taken.

3.1.1 Sustainabledevelopmentin Irrigation
For the survivalof the country,there is an urgent need to implementand plan irrigation
strategiesfor now, and in future, as the populationcontinuesto grow. But that should
not be at the cost of degradationof the present available resourcesof land and water,
which means the natural resources that we have, should more or less remain the same
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after 50 or 100 years and beyond. This concept is termed sustainable, which was not
much of a problem earlier when compared to the resources the demand was less. But
now it is reversed and for devising any planning strategy the constraints have to be kept
in mind. As an example, the utilization of ground water may be cited. In many regions of
India, there has been alarming withdrawal of ground water for meeting demands of
irrigation and drinking water demand than that which can be naturally recharged. This
has led to rise of further problems like arsenic and fluoride contamination. Since ground
water recharge by natural means takes a long time, perhaps years and even decades,
there is little hope of regaining the depleted table near future.
Next we look into the options available to the irrigation engineer for development of
irrigation facilities within the constraints.

3.1.2

Future

directions

The question that is to be resolved is this: Are we capable of producing the required
amount of food grain for the country? Apart from spreading the network of irrigation
system further into the country, there is an urgent need on research- for better seeds,
better water management and distribution practices, low cost fertilizer etc.,
Nevertheless, the possible options available to water resource engineer to meet the
future irrigation and food requirement may, therefore, include evaporation control and
reduction and losses during conveyance of water through channels, recycling of water,
inter basin transfer, desalination of seawater in coastal areas, rainfall by cloud seeding,
improved technology, etc. Loss of top soil due to erosion in one of the forms of
degradation which can be contained on a limited scale but problems of salinity,
alkalinity, water logging, etc. reduce the productivity. The future lies in considering and
bringing under cultivation additional area and considering intensified production on
existing good agricultural land and water resource system optimization.

3.1.3

Constraints

of land and water

The total geographical area of land in India is about 329 million hectare (M-ha), which is
2.45% of the global land area. The total arable land, according to an estimate made by
the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), made available through the website
Aquastat, is about 165.3 M-ha which is about 50.2 % of the total geographical area (the
average world figure is 10.2%). The website that may be checked for this and relevant
data

is that of FAO:
htt

://www.fao.or

/a

/a

I/a

lw/a

uastat/countries/india/index.stm

India possesses 4% of the total average annual run off in the rivers of the world. The
per capita water availability of natural run off is at least 1100 cubic meters/yr. The
utilizable surface water potential of India has been estimated to be 1869 cubic kms.but
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the amount of water that can actually be to put to beneficial use is much less due to
severe limitations imposed by physiographic, topographic, interstate issues and the
present technology to harness water resources economically. The recent estimates
made by the Central Water Commission indicate that the water resources utilizable
through surface structures is about 690 cubic kms only (about 36% of the total ground
water is another important source of water).
Ground water is another important source of water. The quantum of water that can be
extracted economically from the ground water aquifers every year is generally known as
ground water potential. The preliminary estimates made by the Central Ground Water
Board indicate that the utilizable ground water is about 432 cubic km.thus the total
utilizable

water

resource

is estimated

to 1122

cubic

km.

It must

be remembered

that this

amount of water is unequally spread over the entire length and breadth of the country.
Of the total 329 M-ha of land, it is estimated that only 266 M-ha possess potential for
production. Of this, 143 M-ha is agricultural land. It is estimated that 85 M-ha of land
suffers from varying degrees of soil degradation. Of the remaining 123 M-ha, 40 M-ha is
completely unproductive. The balance 83 M-ha is classified as forest land, of which over
half is denuded to various degrees.
It is alarming to note that the percapita availability of land is half of what it used to be
same 35 years ago. This would further reduce as our countrys population continuous to
grow. At present 141 M-ha of land is being used for cultivation purposes. Between
1970-71 and 1987-88 the average net sown area has been 140.4 M-ha. The need for
production of food, fodder, fibre, fuel in the crop growing areas have to compete with the
growing space require for urbanization. The factors of land degradation, like water
logging, salinity, alkalinity and erosion of soils on account of inadequate planning and
inefficient management of water resources projects will severely constrain the growth of
net sown

area

in the future.

3.1.4 Benefits of irrigation
With the introduction of irrigation, there have been many advantages, as compared to
the total dependence on rainfall. These may be enumerated as under:
1. Increase in crop yield: the production of almost all types of crops can be increased
by providing the right amount of later at the right time, depending on its shape of
growth. Such a controlled supply of water is possible only through irrigation.
2. Protection from famine: the availability of irrigation facilities in any region ensures
protection against failure of crops or famine due to drought. In regions without
irrigation, farmers have to depend only on rains for growing crops and since the
rains may not provide enough rainfall required for crop growing every year, the
farmers are always faced with a risk.

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3. Cuitivaiion of superior crops: with assured supply of water for irrigation, farmers
may think of cultivating superior variety of crops or even other crops which yield high
return. Production of these crops in rain-fed areas is not possible because even with
the slight unavailability of timely water, these crops would die and all the money
invested

would

be wasted.

4. Elimination of mixed cropping: in rain-fed areas, farmers have a tendency to
cultivate more than one type of crop in the same field such that even if one dies
without the required amount of water, at least he would get the yield of the other.
However, this reduces the overall production of the field. With assured water by
irrigation, the farmer would go for only a single variety of crop in one field at anytime,
which would increase the yield.
5. Economic development: with assured irrigation, the farmers get higher returns by
way of crop production throughout the year, the government in turn, benefits from
the tax collected from the farmers in base of the irrigation facilities extended.
6. Hydro power generation: usually, in canal system of irrigation, there are drops or
differences in elevation of canal bed level at certain places. Although the drop may
not be very high, this difference in elevation can be used successfully to generate
electricity. Such small hydro electric generation projects, using bulb-turbines have
been established in many canals, like Ganga canal, Sarada canal, Yamuna canal
etc.

7. Domestic and industrial water supply". some water from the irrigation canals may
be utilized for domestic and industrial water supply for nearby areas. Compared to
the irrigation water need, the water requirement for domestic and industrial uses is
rather small and does not affect the total flow much. For example, the town of Siliguri
in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, supplies its residents with the water from
Teesta

Mahananda

link canal.

3.1.5 Classification of irrigation schemes
Irrigation projects in India are classified into three categories major medium & minor
according to the area cultivated the classification criteria is as fo||ows:1) Major irrigation projects: projects which have a culturable command area
(CCA) of more than 10,000 ha but more than 2,000 ha utilize mostly surface
water

resources.

2) Medium irrigation projects: projects which have CCA less than 10,000 ha. But
more than 2,000 ha utilizes mostly surface water resources.
3) Minor irrigation projects: projects with CCA less than or equal to 2,000 ha.
utilizes both ground water and local surface water resources. Ground water
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development is primarily done through individual and cooperative effort of
farmers with the help of institutional finance and their own savings. Surface
water minor irrigation schemes are generally funded from the public sector
only. The ultimate irrigation potential from minor irrigation schemes have been
assessed as 75.84 million ha of which partly would be ground water based
(58.46 million ha) and covers about two thirds. By the end of the ninth plan,
the total potential created by minor irrigation was 60.41 million ha.
The ultimate irrigation potential of the country from major and medium irrigation projects
has been assessed as about 64 Mha. By the end of the ninth plan period, the total
potential created from major and medium projects was about 35 Mha.

3.1.6 Major and medium irrigation projects visavis minor
irrigation projects
While formulating strategies for irrigation development the water resources planner
should realize the benefits of each type of project based on the local conditions. For
example, it may not always be possible to benefit remote areas using major/medium
projects. At these places minor irrigation schemes would be most suitable. Further, land
holding may be divided in such a way that minor irrigation becomes inevitable.
However, major and medium projects wherever possible is to be constructed to reduce
the overall cost of development of irrigation potential.
According to the third minor irrigation census carried out in 2000-01, there are about
5.56 Iakh tanks in the country, with the most occurring in the following states
West Bengal: 21.2 percent of all the tanks in the country
Andhra

Pradesh:

13.6

.PS"':".°
Maharashtra:

12.5

Chhattisgarh: 7.7
Madhya Pradesh: 7.2

Tami|nadu:

7.0

Karnataka:

5.0

This data has been gathered from the web-site of the Ministry of Water Resources,
Government of India: http://wvvw.wrmin.nic.in/.
Due to non use of these 15 percent tanks nearly 1 M-ha of Irrigation potential is lost.
Another, around 2 M-ha of potential is lost due to under utilisation of tanks in use. Loss
of potential due to non use is more pronounced in Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Arunachal
Pradesh (above 30%), whereas loss of potential due to under utilisation is more than 50
percent in case of Gujarat, Nagaland, Rajasthan, A&N Island and Dadar and Nagar
Haveli.

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It also appears that the maintenance of the tanks has been neglected in many parts of
the country and their capacity has been reduced due to siltation. It has been estimated
that about 1.7 M-ha of net area has been lost under tank irrigation due to drying up of
tanks and encroachment of foreshore area. Some advantages of minor irrigation should
also be kept in mind. These are: small investments, simpler components, labour
intensive, quick maturing and most importantly it is farmer friendly.
On the other hand, it is seen that of the assessed 64 M-ha of irrigation potential that
may be created through major and medium projects, only about 35 M-ha have so far
been created. Hence a lot of scope for development in this sector is remaining. These
may be realized through comprehensive schemes including storage, diversion and
distribution structures. Some of these schemes could even be multi-purpose thus
serving other aspects like flood control and hydro power.

3.1.7 Outlook of the national water policy
Our country had adapted a national water policy in the year 1987 which was revised in
2002. The policy document lays down the fact that planning and development of water
resources should be governed by the national perspective. Here we quote the aspects
related to irrigation from the policy.
1. Irrigation planning either in an individual project or in a watershed as a whole
should take into account the irrigability of land, cost-effective irrigation options
possible from all available sources of water and appropriate irrigation techniques
for optimizing water use efficiency. Irrigation intensity should be such as to
extend the benefits of irrigation to as large a number of farm families as possible,
keeping in view the need to maximize production.
2. There should be a close integration of water use and land use policies.
3. Water allocation in an irrigation system should be done with due regard to equity
and social justice. Disparities in the availability of water between head-reach and
tail end farms and between large and small farms should be obviated by adoption
of a rotational water distribution system and supply on a volumetric basis subject
to certain ceilings and rational pricing.
4. Concerted efforts should be made to ensure that the irrigation potential created is
fully utilised. For this purpose, the command area development approach should
be adopted in all irrigation projects.
5. Irrigation being the largest consumer of fresh water, the aim should be to get
optimal productivity per unit of water. Scientific management farm practices and
sprinkler and drip system of irrigation should be adopted wherever feasible.
6. Reclamation of water-logged/saline affected land by scientific and cost effective
methods should form a part of command area development programme.
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3.1.8 Command Area Development Programme (CAD )
This scheme, sponsored by the central government was launched in 1974-75 with the
objective of bridging the gap between irrigation potential created and that utilized for
ensuring efficient utilization of created irrigation potential and increasing the agricultural
productivity from irrigated lands on a sustainable basis. The programme envisages
integrating various activities relating to irrigated agriculture through a multi-disciplinary
team under an area development authority in a coordinated manner. The existing
components of the CADP are as fo||ows:1. On farm development works, that is, development of field channels and field
drains within the command of each outlet, land leveling on an outlet
command basis; reclamation of waterlogged areas; enforcement of a proper
system of rotational water supply (like the warabandl) and fair distribution of
water to individual fields; realignment of field boundaries, wherever necessary
(where possible, consolidation of holding are also combined)supp|y of all
inputs and service including credit; strengthening of extension services; and
encouraging farmers for participatory irrigation management.
2. Selection and introduction of suitable cropping patterns.
3. Development of ground water to supplement surface irrigation (conjunctive
use under minor irrigation sector)
4. Development and maintenance of the main and intermediate drainage
system.

5. Modernization, maintenance and efficient operation of the irrigation system up

to the outletof onecusec(1ft3/sec)capacity.
For an overall appreciation of an entire irrigation project it is essential that the objectives
of the CAD be kept in mind by the water resources engineer.

3.1.9 Participatory irrigation management (PIM)
Any irrigation project cannot be successful unless it is linked to the stakeholders, that is,
the farmers themselves. In fact, peoples participation in renovation and maintenance of
field channels was the established practice during the pre independence days.
However, the bureaucracy encroached on this function in the post independence period
and a realization has dawned that without the participation of farmers, the full potential
of an irrigation scheme may not be realized. Though a water resources engineer is not
directly involved in such a scheme, it is nevertheless wise to appreciate the motive
behind PIM and keep that in mind while designing an irrigation system.

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The national water policy stresses the participatory approach in water resources
management. It has been recognized that participation of the beneficiaries would help
greatly for the optimal upkeep of irrigation system and utilization of irrigation water. The
participation of farmers in the management of irrigation would give responsibility for
operation and maintenance and collection of water rates from the areas under the
jurisdiction of the water users association of concerned hydraulic level. Under the
command area development programme (CADP), presently a provision exists for a
one-time functional grant to farmers associations at the rate of Rs. 500 per hectare of
which Rs. 225 per hectare is provided by the central government and state government
each, and Rs. 50 per hectare is contributed by the farmers associations.
It may be mentioned that so far, that is by year 2004, the state governments of Andhra
Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have enacted
legislations for the establishment of the water users associations.
The sustainability and success of PIM depends on mutual accountability between the
water users association and the irrigation department of the concerned state, attitudinal
change in the bureaucracy, autonomy for the water users associations, multifunctional
nature of the water users association and the choice of appropriate model for PIM with
appropriate legal and institutional framework. If the farmers have to take over and
manage the system, then the system must be rectified by the irrigation department to a
minimum standard to carry the design discharge before it is handed over to the water
users

association.

The success

of the PIM is also

linked

to the introduction

of rotational

water supply and water charges with rationalized establishment costs. Unlined field
channels need to be manually constructed in a V shape which is considered stable and
efficient for carrying water.

3.1.10 Management of water for irrigation
Of the two resources land and water, management of the former is largely in the
domain of agricultural engineers. Management of water, on the other hand, is mostly the
purview of the water resources engineer who has to decide the following:
o How much water is available at a point of a surface water source, like a river
(based on hydrological studies)
-

-

How much ground water is available for utilization in irrigation system without
adversely lowering the ground water table?
For the surface water source, is there a need for construction of a reservoir for

storing the monsoon runoff to be used in the lean seasons?
o What kind of diversion system can be constructed across the river for diverting
part of the river flow into a system of canal network for irrigating the fields?
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o How efficient a canal network system may be designed such that there is
minimum loss of water and maximum agricultural production?
o How can excess water of an irrigated agricultural fields be removed which would
otherwise cause water logging of the fields?
In order to find proper solution to these and other related issues, the water resources
engineer should be aware of a number of components essential for proper management
of water in an irrigation system. These are:1. Watershed development: since the water flowing into a river is from a watershed, it
is essential that the movement of water over ground has to be delayed. This would
ensure that the rain water falling within the catchment recharges the ground water,
which in turn replenishes the water inflow to the reservoir even during the lean
season.

Small

check

dams

constructed

across

small

streams

within

the

catchment

can help to delay the surface water movement in the watershed and recharge the
ground water. Measures for the water shed development also includes aforestation
within the catchment area which is helpful in preventing the valuable top-soil from
getting eroded and thus is helpful also in preventing siltation of reservoirs. Other soil
conservation methods like regrassing and grass land cultivation process, galley
plugging, nullah bunding, contour bunding etc. also come under watershed
development.
2. Water management: surface water reservoirs are common in irrigation systems and
these are designed and operated to cater to crop water requirement throughout the
year. It is essential, therefore, to check loss of water in reservoir due to
o Evaporation from the water surface
0 Seepage from the base
0 Reduction of storage capacity due to sedimentation
3. Water management in conveyance system: In India the water loss due to
evaporation, seepage and mismanagement in the conveyance channels (for canals
and its distributaries) is exceptionally high-nearly 60%. Some countries like Israel
have reduced this loss tremendously by taking several measures like lining of water
courses, lining not only reduces seepage, but also minimizes weed infestation and
reduces overall maintenance cost though the initial cost of providing lining could be
high depending on the material selected.
4. On farm water management: Though this work essentially is tackled by agricultural
engineers, the water resources engineers must also be aware of the problem so that
a proper integrated management strategy for conveyance-delivery-distribution of
irrigation water is achieved. It has been observed from field that the water delivered
from the canal system to the agricultural fields are utilized better in the head reaches
and by the time it reaches the tail end, its quantity reduces. Often, there are land
holding belonging to different farmers along the route of the water course and there
is a tendency of excess withdrawal by the farmers at the upper reaches. In order to
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tackle this kind of mismanagement a proper water distribution roster has to be
implemented with the help of farmers cooperatives or water users associations. At
times farmers are of the opinion that more the water applied more would be the crop
production which is generally not true beyond a certain optimum water application
rate. Education of farmers in this regard would also ensure better on-farm water
management.

5. Choice of irrigation method: Though irrigation has been practiced in India from
about the time of the Harappa civilization, scientific irrigation based on time variant
crop water need within the constraints of water and land availability is rather recent.
It is important to select the right kind of irrigation method to suit the particular crop
and soil. For example, following is a short list of available methods corresponding to
the kind of crop.

Methodof irrigation

Suitablefor crops

Border strip method

Wheat, Leafy vegetables, Fodders

Furrow method

Cotton, Sugarcane, Potatoes

Basin

method

Orchard

trees

Other methods like sprinkler and drip irrigation systems are adapted where water is
scarce and priority for its conservation is more than the consideration for cost.
Although most advanced countries are adopting these measures, they have not
picked up as much in India mainly due to financial constraints. However, as time
passes and land and water resources get scarce, it would be essential to adopt
these practices in India, too.
5. Choice of cropping pattern: Scientific choice of cropping pattern should be evolved
on the basis of water availability, soil type, and regional agro-climate conditions.
Crop varieties which give equivalent yield with less water requirement and take less
time to mature should be popularized. Scientific contribution in the form of double or
multiple cropping can be achieved if the sowing of crops such as paddy, groundnut,
arhar etc. is advanced, if necessary, by raising the nurseries with the help of groundwater. Selection of crops planting sequence per unit weight of water applied.
7. Scheduling of irrigation water: Traditional farmers engaged in crop production are
aware of some kind of scheduling of water to the crops, but their knowledge is based
mostly on intuition and traditional wisdom rather than on any scientific basis. Modern
scientific study on crop growth has shown that a correlation can be established
between the climatic parameters, crop water requirement and the moisture stored in
the soil especially in the root zone. It has now been established by scientific
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research that the application of irrigation should be such that the available water in
the soil above the permanent wilting point is fully utilized by the crop before
requiring application of water to replenish the depleted moisture in the soil. Since
any canal would be delivering water at the same time to different fields growing
different crops, the demand of the various fields have to be calculated at any point of
time or a certain period of time(days, weeks),and the water distributed accordingly
through the canal network.
8. Development of land drainage: Due to improper application of water and
inadequate facilities for drainage of excess water from irrigated lands, large tracks of
land near irrigated areas have been affected with water logging and excess salt
concentration in soils. Adequate drainage measures like surface and subsurface
drainage systems, vertical drainage, bio-drainage etc. should be developed as an
integral part of the irrigation system.
9. Command area development: We have already seen that the government has
initiated the command area development programme (CADP) which would ensure
efficient water utilization and integrated area developments in the irrigation
command.

10. Canal automation: At present, the water entering the canal network through the
headworks as well as the water getting distributed into the various branches and
finally reaching the fields through the outlets are controlled manually. However, if
these operations are carried out through automated electro-mechanical systems
which can communicate to a central computer, then the whole process can be
made more efficient. This would also help to save water and provide optimal
utilization of the availability water.

3.1.11 Classification of irrigation schemes
The classification of the irrigation systems can also be based on the way the water is
applied to the agricultural land as:
1. Flow irrigation system: where the irrigation water is conveyed by growing to the
irrigated land. This may again be classified into the following.
-

Direct irrigation: Where the irrigation water is obtained directly from the
river, without any intermediate storage. This type of irrigation is possible by
constructing a weir or a barrage across a river to raise the level of the river
water and thus divert some portion of the river flow through an adjacent canal,
where the flow takes place by gravity.

-

Reservoir/tank/storage irrigation: The irrigation water is obtained from a
river, where storage has been created by construction an obstruction across
the river, like a dam. This ensures that even when there is no inflow into the
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river from the catchment, there is enough stored water which can continue to
irrigate fields through a system of canals.
2. Lift irrigation system: Where the irrigation water is available at a level lower than
that of the land to be irrigated and hence the water is lifted up by pumps or by
other mechanical devices for lifting water and conveyed to the agricultural land
through channels flowing under gravity.
Classification of irrigation systems may also be made on the basis of duration of the
applied water, like:
1. lnundationiflooding type irrigation system: In which large quantities of water
flowing in a river during floods is allowed to inundate the land to be cultivated,
thereby saturating the soil. The excess water is then drained off and the land is
used for cultivation. This type of irrigation uses the flood water of rivers and
therefore is limited to a certain time of the year. It is also common in the areas
near river deltas, where the slope of the river and land is small. Unfortunately,
many of the rivers, which were earlier used for flood inundation along their banks,
have been embanked in the past century and thus this practice of irrigation has
dwindled.

2. Perennial irrig tion system: In which irrigation water is supplied according to the
crop water requirement at regular intervals, throughout the life cycle of the crop.
The water for such irrigation may be obtained from rivers or from walls. Hence,
the source may be either surface or ground water and the application of water
may be by flow or lift irrigation systems.

3.1.12 Pricing of water
This is more of a management issue than a technical one. After all, the water being
supplied for irrigation has a production cost (including operation cost and maintenance
cost) which has to be met from either the beneficiary or as subsidy from the
government. Since water is a state subject (as the matter included in entry 17 of list 11
that is, the state list of the Constitution of India), every state independently fixes the
rates of water that it charges from the beneficiaries, the remaining being provided from
state exchequer.
There are wide variations in water rate structures across states and the rate per unit
volume of water consumed varies greatly with the crop being produced. The rates
charged in some states for irrigation vary even for different projects depending on the
mode of irrigation. The rates, at present, also vary widely for the same crop in the same
state depending on irrigation season, type of system, etc.
As such, right now, there is no uniform set principles in fixing the water rates and a wide
variety of principles for pricing are followed for the different states, such as:
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recovery cost of water
capacity of irrigators to pay based on gross earning or net benefit of irrigation
water requirement of crops
sources of water supply and assurance
classification of land linked with land revenue system
In some states water cess, betterment levy, etc. are also charged. Hence, there is an
urgent need of the water resources planners to work out a uniform principle of pricing
irrigation water throughout the country, taking into account all the variables and
constraints.

3.1.13 Procedure for setting up a major/medium irrigation project
scheme

in India

The central design organization of each state desiring to set up an irrigation project shall
have to prepare a detailed project report of the proposed irrigation scheme based on the
document Guidelines for Submission, Appraisal and Clearance of Irrigation and
Multipurpose Projects brought out by the Central Water Commission. This report has to
be sent to the project appraisal organization of the Central Water Commission for the
clearance with a note certifying the following:
1. All necessary surveys and investigations for planning of the project and
establishing its economic feasibility have been carried out according to the
guidelines mentioned above.
2.10% or 5000 ha (whichever is minimum) of the command area of the proposed
project has been investigated in details in three patches of land representing terrain
conditions in the command for estimation of the conveyance system up to the last
farm

outlets.

3.10% of the canal structures have been investigated in full detail.
4.Detai|ed hydrological, geological, construction material investigations have been
carried out for all major structures, that is, dams, weirs (or barrages, as the case
may be), main canal, branch canal up to distributaries carrying a discharge of 10
cumecs.

5. Soil survey of the command area has been carried out as per IS 5510-1969.
6. Necessary designs for the various components of the project have been done in
accordance with the guidelines and relevant Indian standards.
7. Necessary studies for utilization of ground water have been done with special
regard to the problem of water logging and suitable provisions have been made for
conjunctive use of ground water and drainage arrangements.
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8. The cropping pattern has been adopted in consultation with the state agriculture
department and is based on soil surveys of the command keeping in view the
national policy in respect of encouraging crops for producing oil seeds and pulses.
9. The cost estimates and economic evaluations were carried out as per guidelines
issued by the Central Water Commission.
It may be noted that similar report has to be made even for multipurpose projects having
irrigation as a component. Apart from the above techno-economic studies carried out by
the state central design organization, the project report should be examined by the
state-level project appraisal/technical advisory committee comprising representatives of
irrigation, agriculture, fisheries, forests, soil conservation, ground water, revenue and
finance departments and state environmental management authority.
It may be noted that a project of the magnitude of a major or medium irrigation scheme
has wide impacts. Hence, the techno-economic feasibility report should also be
supplemented with Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Relief and
Rehabilitation Plan. The latter touches the issue of the plans for appropriate
compensation to the affected persons due to the construction of the projects.
The project proposal submitted to the Central Water Commission shall be circulated
amongst the members of the advisory committee of the ministry of water resources for
scrutiny. Once the project is found acceptable it shall be recommended for investment
clearance to the planning commission and inclusion in the five year plan/annual plan.

3.1.14 Plan development
Since the commencement of the first
schemes of India have been planned in
each state of the union of India has
development. A brief description of the
indicated in the following paragraphs.
Andhra

five year plan in 1951, the developmental
a systematic programme. Under this scheme,
seen development in the field of irrigation
development in each state so far, has been

Pradesh:

At the beginning of plan development there were about 56 major and medium projects
in addition to several minor projects in the state. Irrigation potential of about 2.4 Mha
was created through these projects which was about onefourth of the ultimate irrigation
potential of the state. About one hundred major and medium projects were undertaken
during plan development. These along with a large number of minor irrigation projects
created an additional potential of about 4M-ha thus raising the irrigation potential
created to about two-thirds of ultimate potential of 9.2 Mha. This has resulted in
bringing a net area of 4.3 Mha under irrigation out of 11 Mha of net sown area in the
state. The important projects taken up in the last 50 years include large projects like
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Nagarjuna Sagar, Sriram Sagar and Srisailam inadditionto projectslike Tungabhadra
high level canal, Somasilaetc.
Arunachal

Pradesh:

Situated in the hilly regionof the North east, irrigationpotentialof the state is as low as
0.16 M-ha. There was hardly any irrigationprojectshave been undertakenwhich have
created an irrigationpotentialof 82,000 ha, which accountsfor about half of the ultimate
potential.A net area of about 36,000 ha out of the net sown area of 149000 ha has
been broughtunder irrigationby these projects.
Assam:

Beforethe commencementof plan development,irrigationdevelopmentin the state was
limitedto minor projectsutilizingsurface and groundwater which providedan irrigation
potentialof 0.23 M-ha under plan developmentabout 20 major and medium irrigation
projects and a large number of minor irrigationprojectswere undertaken resultingin
creation of an irrigationpotentialof 0.85 M-ha which is about one-thirdof the ultimate
irrigationpotential2.67 M-ha for the state. A net area of 0.57 M-ha has been brought
under irrigationthrough these projects. Importanttaken up during the period include
Bodikerai,Dhansiri,Koilongetc.
Bihar:

Irrigationdevelopmentin the prep|an period includedfour major and medium projects
in additionto several minorirrigationprojects.These projectsaccountedfor an irrigation
potentialof 1.4 M-ha. About 105 major and medium irrigationprojectsin additionto a
large number of minor irrigationprojects were undertaken during plan development,
resulting in creation of additional irrigationalpotential of about 7V. Two-third of the
ultimateirrigationpotentialof 12.4 M-ha for the state has thus been created so far. An
area of 3.3 M-ha out of net sown area of 7.7 M-ha in the state has been broughtunder
irrigationfrom these projects. Important projects undertaken during the plan period
includeGandak, Kosi barrage and Eastern canal, Rajpur canal, Sone high level canal,
Subernarekha, North Koel reservoir etc.
Goa:

Prep|an irrigationdevelopment in Goa was limited to constructionof a few minor
projects. During plan development, four major and medium irrigationprojects and a
number of minor irrigationprojectswere undertaken.These projects have created an
irrigationpotential of 35000 ha, which accounts for about 43 percent of the ultimate
irrigationpotentialof 82000 ha for the state. A net area of 23000 ha of the sown area of
131000 ha available to the state has been brought under irrigation.The inportant
projectsundertakenduringthe periodincludeSalauli and Anjunem.
Gujarat:
Two major projectsand a number of minor irrigationprojectswere undertaken in the
state during the prep|an period which created an irrigationpotential of 0.46 M-ha.
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About 130 major and medium irrigation projects were undertaken during plan
development and these projects have created an irrigation potential of 3.4 M-ha Thus
74 percent of the ultimate irrigation potential of 4.75 M-ha for the state has been
created. An area of 2.64 M-ha out of net sown area of 9.3 M-ha has been brought under
irrigation under the above projects. Important projects taken up in the state include Ukai,
Kakarpur, Mahi etc. The giant project of Sardar Sarovar is one of the projects presently
ongoing in the state.
Harayana:
The major project of Western Yamuna canal was constructed in the state during preplan period. Irrigation potential created in the pre-plan period was about 0.72 M-ha.
About 10 major projects were taken up during the plan period in addition to a number of
tubewells and other minor irrigation projects. The total irrigation potential created by
projects so far undertaken amounts to 3.7 M-ha which accounts for about 80 percent of
the ultimate irrigation potential for the state. Out of the net sown area of 3.6 M-ha, an
area of 2.6 M-ha has been brought under irrigation. Important projects undertaken
during the plan period include interstate projects like Bhakra-Nangal, Sutlej-Yamuna
link canal
Himachal

etc.
Dradesh:

Irrigation development in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh was restricted to minor
projects in the preplan period. During the plan development, 5 major and medium
projects and a number of minor projects were undertaken in the state. Sofar, these
projects have created a total irrigation potential of 0.16 M-ha and have brought an area
of 99,000 ha under irrigation out of the net sown area of 5,83,000 ha in the state.
Important projects undertaken in the State include Balh valley, Shahanahar etc.
Jammu

& Kashmir:

Prep|an irrigation development in the state included seven major and medium projects
in addition to minor irrigation schemes. These projects accounted for creation of an
irrigation potential of 0.33 M-ha. During the plan development, about 20 major and
medium irrigation projects and a number of minor projects were undertaken in the state.
With the addition of about 0.22 M-ha from these projects the irrigation potential, so far,
created has risen to 0.55 M-ha which is about 70 percent of the ultimate irrigation
potential of 0.8 M-ha Net area brought under irrigation is 0.3 M-ha Important projects
undertaken during plan period include Kathua Canal, Ravi-Tawi Lift, Karwal etc.
Karnataka:

Prep|an irrigation development in the state included 11 major and medium projects, in
addition to a large number of minor projects. These projects created an irrigation
potential of 0.75 M-ha. During plan period about 54 major and medium irrigation
projects and a number of minor irrigation projects were undertaken. These projects
have raised the irrigation potential created in the state to 0.32 M-ha which is about 70
percent of the ultimate irrigation potential of the state. Net area brought under irrigation
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is 2.1 M-ha Important projects undertaken during the plan period include Ghataprabha,
Malaprabha, Tungabhadra, Upper Krishna stage-I, Kabini, Harangi, Hemavati etc.
Keraia:

Irrigation development in the state in the pre-plan period was limited to minor irrigation
which had created a potential of 2,25,000 ha. During plan development, about 22 major
and medium irrigation projects were undertaken which have raised the irrigation
potential created to about 1.2 M-ha thus achieving 70 percent of the ultimate potential
of 2.1 M-ha for the state. Net area brought under irrigation is 0.33 M-ha. Important
projects taken up during plan development include Malampuzha, Chalakudi, Periyar
Valley, Kallada etc.
Madhya Pradesh:
A little over 1 M-ha of irrigation potential was created in the state in the pre-plan period
through the construction of about 20 major and medium and a number of minor projects.
During the period of plan development about 160 major and medium projects were
undertaken along with minor irrigation schemes. With this, the irrigation potential
created has gone upto over 5 M-ha which is about half of the ultimate potential of 10.2
M-ha. About 4.8 M-ha of land has been broght under irrigation through these projects.
Important projects undertaken during the period include Chambal, Barna, Tawa,
mahanadi Reservoir, Hasdeo-Bango, Bargi, Upper Wainganga etc.
Maharashtra:

Irrigation development in pre-plan period in Maharashtra was also over 1 M-ha achieved
through the construction of about 21 major and medium irrigation projects along with a
number of minor irrigation projects. During plan development, over 250 major and
medium projects and a large number of minor projects were added which raised the
irrigation potential created to about 4.9 M-ha , which is about two-third of the ultimate
potential of 7.3 M-ha Out of the net sown area of 18 M-ha available to the state, 2.5 Mha has been brought under irrigation. The important projects undertaken during the
period of the plan development included Jayakwadi, Pench, Bhima, Mula, Purna,
Khadakwasla, Upper Penganga etc.
Nlanipur:
An irrigation potential of about 5,000 M-ha was created in the state during prep|an
period through minor irrigation projects. During plan development, six major and
medium projects and a number of minor irrigation projects were added which has raised
the irrigation potential to 0.14 M-ha which is about 60 percent of the ultimate potential
of 0.24 M-ha A net area of 65,000 ha has been brought under irrigation through these
projects. One of the important irrigation projects taken up is the Loktak lift.
Meghalaya:
Minor irrigation projects are source of irrigation in this hilly state. A potential of 7,000 ha
developed in the prep|an period was enhanced to about 53,000 ha by taking up more
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minor irrigationprojects. The state has little scope of taking up major and medium
projects.A net area of about 45,000 ha has, so far, been providedwith irrigation.
Mizoram:

There was hardly any irrigationdevelopment in the state in the prep|an period. The
terrain is not suitable for taking up major and medium projects. In the period of plan
development,an irrigationpotentialof 13,000 ha was created through minor irrigation
projects,thereby bringinga net area of about 8,000 ha under irrigation.The ultimate
irrigationpotential of the state is about 70,000 ha, which is one of the lowest of all
states.

Nagaland:
Nagaland too has a low irrigationpotentialof about 90,000 ha out of which about 5,000
ha was created in the prep|an period throughminor irrigationschemes. This has been
raised to about 68,000 ha (about threefourth of the ultimate) by taking up minor
irrigationprojects.The net area provided with irrigationis of the order of 60,000 ha.
Orissa:

Prep|an developmentin the state amountedto 0.46 M-ha through5 major and medium
and a large numberof minor irrigationprojects.Duringthe period of plan development,
55 major and mediumprojectsand a hostof minor irrigationprojectswere undertakenin
the state bringingup the irrigationpotentialcreated to about 3 M-ha which is more than
half the ultimateirrigationpotentialof 5.9 M-ha for the state. A net area of 2 M-ha has
been broughtunder irrigationthroughthese projects.Importantprojectstaken up during
the project include Hirakud, Mahanadi Birupa Barrage, upper Kolab etc. Schemes like
interstate Subernarekhaprojectand upper lndravatiare presentlyin progress.
Punjab:
Punjab was one of the states where significantdevelopment in irrigationwas made
during pre-plan period. An irrigationpotential of about 0.21 M-ha was created in the
state through constructionof 5 major and a number of minor lift irrigationprojects.
During the period of plan development 10 major and medium and a large number of
minor projectswere undertakenwhich has raised the irrigationpotentialof 6.5 M-ha. A
net area of about 3.9 M-ha has been brought under irrigationin the state out of net
sown area of 4.2 M-ha Importantmajor and medium projects undertakenin the state
includeinterstate Bhakra Nangal,Sut|ej-YamunaLinkCanal, Beas etc.
Rajasthan:
Out of the ultimateirrigationpotentialof 5.15 M-ha for the state, a potentialof 1.5 M-ha
was developedduringthe prep|an period throughthe conctructionof one major and 42
medium irrigationprojects in addition to several minor projects. About 67 major and
medium projectsand a large numberof minor projectswere undertakenduringthe plan
period which has raisedthe irrigationpotentialcreated to about 4.8 M-ha which is more
than 90 percent of ultimate irrigationpotential of the state. Net area brought under
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irrigation is 3.9 M-ha out of net sown area of 16.4 M-ha Important projects undertaken
during plan development include interstate Chambal project, Bhakra Nangal, Beas,
Indira Nahar, Mahi Bajaj Sagar etc.
Sikkim:

There was hardly any irrigation development in Sikkim at the time when plan
development started in India. After Sikkim joined as a part of India, plan development
was extended to the state in the seventies and an irrigation potential of about 25,000 ha
is likely t be developed by the end of 1996-97 through minor irrigation projects.
Tamil

Nadu:

The state of Tamil Nadu was one of the forerunners in development of irrigation during
the British period. An irrigation potential projects of 2.4 M-ha was developed through 24
major and medium irrigation projects and a large number of minor irrigation projects
during the pre=p|an period. About 1.3 M-ha of irrigation potential was added during plan
development through addition of 24 major and medium projects and a number of minor
irrigation projects. Out of the ultimate irrigation potential of 3.9 M-ha, over 3.7 M-ha
(about 95 percent) has so far been created. Out of the net sown of 5.6 M-ha, net area
brought under irrigation is 2.7 M-ha Important projects undertaken during the peiod
include Cauvery Delta, Lower Bhavani, Parambikulam Aliyar etc.
Tripura:
lrigation development in the prep|an period in Tripura was mainly through minor
irrigation. Potential of 10,000 ha was created during the pre-plan period. With the
addition of 3 medium and several minor irrigation projects during plan development, the
irrigation potential, so far, developed has risen to over 100,000 ha which is nearly half of
the ultimate potential of 215,000 ha. About 16,000 ha of sown area have been brought
under irrigation. One of the important projects taken up in the state is Gumti.
Uttar

Pradesh:

With vast development in the Ganga valley an irrigation potential of 5.4 M-ha was
created in the state during the prep|an period, through 15 major schemes and a host of
minor schemes. During plan development over 90 major and medium projects and a
very large number of minor irrigation projects were undertaken in the plan period
thereby raising the potential created to about 30 M-ha against the originally assessed
ultimate potential of about 26 M-ha Three-fourth of this development (22.7 M-ha ) is
attributed to minor irrigation projects- largely ground water works. About 11.3 M-ha of
area out of net sown area of 17.3 M-ha has been brought under irrigation through these
projects. Important projects undertaken during the period include Ramganga, Sarda
Sahayak, Saryu Nahar, Gandak, Madhya Ganga Canal, Tehri etc.
West Bengal:
Prep|an irrigation development in West Bengal saw the implementation of major
projects in addition to a large number of minor projects which resulted in creation of an
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irrigationpotentialof about 0.94 M-ha Duringplan period, about 13 major and medium
and large number of minor schemes were added which have raised the irrigation
potentialof 6.1 M-ha A net area of 1.9 M-ha has been broughtunder irrigationthrough
these projectsout of net sown area of 5.3 M-ha Importantprojectsundertakenduring
the periodincludeDVC Barrageand canal system, Mayurakshi,Kangsabatietc.
Since

the above

information

has been

based

on the available

data

from Central

Water

Commission,and Ministryof Water Resources,Governmentof Indiafor the last decade,
the smaller states carved out later have not been includedand the data representsthat
for the undivided

state.

3.1.15 History of Irrigation Development
(This section has been adapted from the informationprovidedin the Ministryof Water
Resources,Governmentof Indiaweb-site:http://wrmin.nic.in/).
Earliest evidences of irrigation
The historyof irrigationdevelopmentin India can be traced back to prehistorictimes.
Vedas and ancient Indian scripturesmade reference to wells, canals, tanks and dams
which were beneficialto the communityand their efficientoperationand maintenance
was the responsibilityof the State. Civilizationflourishedon the banks of the riversand
harnessedthe water for sustenanceof life. Accordingto the ancient Indian writers,the
digging of a tank or well was amongst the greatest of the meritoriousact of a man.
Brihaspathi,an ancient writer on law and politics,states that the constructionand the
repair of dams is a piouswork and its burdenshouldfall on the shouldersof rich men of
the land. Vishnu Purana enjoins merit to a person who patronages repairs to well,
gardens and dams.
In a monsoonclimate and an agrarian economy like India, irrigationhas played a major
role in the productionprocess.There is evidence of the practiceof irrigationsince the
establishmentof settled agriculture during the Indus Valley Civilization (2500 BC).
These irrigationtechnologieswere in the form of small and minorworks,whichcould be
operated by small householdsto irrigatesmall patches of land and did not require cooperative effort. Nearly all these irrigationtechnologiesstill exist in India with little
technologicalchange, and continue to be used by independenthouseholdsfor small
holdings.The lack of evidenceof large irrigationworks at this time signifiesthe absence
of large surplus that could be invested in bigger schemes or, in other words, the
absence of rigid and unequal property rights. While village communities and cooperation in agriculturedid exist as seen in well developed townshipsand economy,
such co-operationin the large irrigationworks was not needed, as these settlements
were on the fertile and well irrigatedIndus basin. The spread of agriculturalsettlements
to less fertile and irrigatedarea led to co-operationin irrigationdevelopmentand the
emergence of larger irrigationworks in the form of reservoirsand small canals. While
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the constructionof small schemeswas well withinthe capabilityof village communities,
large irrigationworks were to emerge only with the growth of states, empires and the
interventionof the rulers.There used to emerge a close link between irrigationand the
state. The king had at his disposalthe power to mobilizelabourwhichcould be used for
irrigationworks.
In the south, perennialirrigationmay have begun with constructionof the Grand Anicut
by the Cholas as early as second centuryto provide irrigationfrom the Cauvery river.
Wherever the topographyand terrain permitted,it was an old practice in the region to
impound the surface drainage water in tanks or reservoirs by throwing across an
earthen dam with a surplus weir, where necessary, to take off excess water, and a
sluice at a suitablelevel to irrigatethe land below. Some of the tanks got supplemental
supply from stream and river channels. The entire land-scape in the central and
southern India is studdedwith numerousirrigationtanks which have been traced back
to many centuriesbefore the beginningof the Christianera. In northernIndia also there
are a numberof small canals in the uppervalleysof riverswhichare very old.
Irrigation during Medieval Period
In the medieval India, rapid advances also took place in the constructionof inundation
canals. Water was blockedby constructingbunds acrosssteams. This raised the water
level and canals were constructedto take water to the fields.These bundswere builtby
both the state and privatesources.GhiyasuddinTughluq(1220250 is creditedto be the
first ruler who encourageddiggingcanals. However, it is Fruz Tughlug (1351-86) who
inspiredfrom central Asian experience, is consideredto be the greatest canal builder
before the nineteenthcentury. Irrigationis said to be one of the major reasons for the
growth and expansion of the Vijayanagar empire in southern India in the fifteenth
century.It may be notedthat, but for exceptionalcases, most of the canal irrigationprior
to the arrival of the British was of the diversionary nature. The state, through the
promotionof irrigation,had soughtto enhance revenue and providepatronagethrough
rewardsof fertile land and other rightsto differentclasses. Irrigationhad also increased
employmentopportunitiesand helped in the generationof surplusfor the maintenance
of the army and the bureaucracy.As agriculturaldevelopment was the pillar of the
economy,irrigationsystemswere paid special attentionto, as irrigationwas seen to be
a catalystfor enhanced agriculturalproduction.This is demonstratedby the fact that all
the large, powerfuland stable empires paid attentionto irrigationdevelopment.It may
be said that the state in irrigationwas commensuratewith its own interest.
Irrigation development under British rule
Irrigationdevelopmentunder Britishrule began with the renovation,improvementand
extensionof existingworks, like the ones mentionedabove. When enough experience
and confidencehad been gained, the Governmentventured on new major works, like
the Upper Ganga Canal, the Upper Bari Doab Canal and Krishnaand Godavari Delta
Systems, which were all riverdiversion works of considerablesize. The period from
1836 to 1866 markedthe investigation,developmentand completionof these four major
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works. In 1867, the Government adopted the practice of accepting works, which
promised a minimum net return. Thereafter, a number of projects were taken up. These
included major canal works like the Sirhind, the Lower Ganga, the Agra and the Mutha
Canals, and the Periyar Dam and canals. Some other major canal projects were also
completed on the Indus system during this period. These included the Lower Swat, the
Lower Sohag and Para, the Lower Chenab and the Sidhnai Canals, ali of which went to
Pakistan

in 1947.

The recurrence of drought and famines during the second half of the nineteenth century
necessitated the development of irrigation to give protection against the failure of crops
and to reduce large scale expenditure on famine relief. As irrigation works in low rainfall
tracts were not considered likely to meet the productivity test, they had to be financed
from current revenues. Significant protective works were constructed during the period
were the Betwa Canal, the Nira Left Bank Canal, the Gokak Canal, the Khaswad Tank

and the Rushikulya Canal. Between the two types of works namely productive and
protective, the former received greater attention from the Government. The gross area
irrigated in British India by public works at the close of the nineteenth century was about
7.5 M-ha Of this, 4.5 M-ha came from minor works like tanks, inundation canals etc. for

which no separate capital accounts were maintained. The area irrigated by protective
works was only a little more than 0.12 M-ha
Irrigation development at the time of independence
The net irrigated area in the Indian sub continent, comprising the British Provinces and
Princely States, at the time of independence was about 28.2 M-ha , the largest in any
country of the world. The partition of the country, however, brought about sudden and
drastic changes, resulting in the apportionment of the irrigated area between the two
countries; net irrigated area in India and Pakistan being 19.4 and 8.8 M-ha respectively.
Major canal systems, including the Sutlej and Indus systems fell to Pakistans share.
East Bengal, now Bangladesh, which comprises the fertile Ganga Brahmaputra delta
region also went to Pakistan. The irrigation works which remained with India barring
some of the old works in Uttar Pradesh and in the deltas of the South, were mostly of a
protective nature, and meant more to ward off famine than to produce significant yields.
Plan development
In the initial phase of water resources development during the plan period after
independence, rapid harnessing of water resources was the prime objective.
Accordingly, the State Governments were encouraged to expeditiously formulate and
develop water resources projects for specific purposes like irrigation, flood control,
hydropower generation, drinking water supply, industrial and various miscellaneous
uses. As a result, a large number of projects comprising dams, barrages, hydropower
structures, canal net work etc. have come up all over the country in successive Five
Year Plans. A milestone in water resources development in India is creation of a huge
storage capability. Because of these created storage works it has now become possible
to provide assured irrigation in the command area, to ensure supply for hydropower
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and thermal power plants located at different places and to meet requirement for
various other uses. Flood moderation could be effected in flood prone basins, where
storage have been provided. Besides, supply of drinking water in remote places
throughout the year has become possible in different parts of the country.
At the time of commencement of the First Five Year Plan in 1951, population of India
was about 361 million and annual food grain production was 51 million tonnes which
was not adequate. Import of food grains was then inevitable to cover up the shortage.
Attaining self sufficiently in food was therefore given paramount importance in the plan
period and in order to achieve the objective, various major, medium and minor irrigation
and mu|tipurpose projects were formulated and implemented through successive Five
Year Plans to create additional irrigation potential throughout the country. This drive
compounded with green revolution in the agricultural sector, has enabled India to
become marginally surplus country from a deficit one in food grains.
Thus the net irrigated area is 37 percent of net sown are and 29 percent of total
cultivable area. As stated earlier, the ultimate potential due to major and medium
projects has been assessed as 58 M-ha of which 60 per cent estimated to be
developed.
Scenario of development of irrigation in the states during plan development is discussed
in the following paragraphs.
Minor irrigation
While the development of irrigation is most essential for increasing food and other
agricultural production to meet the needs of the growing population, development of
Minor Irrigation should receive greater attention because of the several advantages they
posses like small investments, simpler components as also being labour intensive,
quick maturing and mot of all farmer friendly.
Minor Irrigation development programmes in the state is being implemented by many
Departments/Organisations like Agriculture, Rural Development, Irrigation, Social
Welfare etc At the central level also, different departments launch schemes having
Minor Irrigation component.
The Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment launched a Million Wells Schemes (WMS)
in 1988-89. Till 1997-98, a total of 12,63,090 wells have been constructed under MWS

with an expenditure of Rs. 4,728.17 crore. The Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment
is also implementing Drought Prone Area Programme(DPAP) on watershed basis.
The Ministry of Agriculture has been instrumental in providing credit to farmers for the
development of Minor Irrigation through Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Gooperatives and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

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The Minor Irrigation Division of the Ministry of Water Resources monitors the progress
of development of irrigation created through Minor Irrigation Project. It implements the
Centrally Sponsored Scheme Rationalisation of Minor Irrigation Statistics (RMIS) and
conducts census of Minor Irrigation structures on quinquennial basis with a view to
create a reliable database for the development of Minor Irrigation Sector. It also assists
the State Governments in preparation of schemes for posing to external funding
agencies for attracting external assistance for Minor Irrigation Schemes.
Ground Water Development is primarily done through individual and co-operative efforts
of the farmers with the help of institutional finance and their own savings. Surface Water
minor Irrigation Scheme i.e. surface lift schemes and surface flow schemes are
generally funded from the public sector outlay. NABARD provides finance to the banks
for installation of Minor Irrigation works in the States. In addition, the Land Development
Banks provide bank credit to the farmers under their normal programmes also. During
the year 1997-98, the total credit disbursement for minor irrigation works out of Rs.
488.65 crores. Further, many old schemes go out of use due to one reason or the other.
The Irrigation Potential created and utilised through ground water as well as surface
water. Minor Irrigation Schemes are not being recorded systematically in most cases as
there schemes are implemented and monitored by individual farmers. Further, the
norms being adopted for assessing the irrigation potential of Minor Irrigation Schemes
are also not uniform. All the Ground Water and Surface Water Schemes having
Cultivable Command Area (GCA) up to 2,000 hectares are included in the Minor
Irrigation Sector.
Reservoir storage
The storage position in 68 important reservoirs in different parts of the country is
monitored by the Central Water Commission. Against the designed live capacity at full
reservoir levels of 129.4 Th. Million Cubic meters (TMC) in these reservoirs the total live
storage was 95.3 TMC at the end of September, 1999 and 106.3 TMC at the same point
of time last year.
Irrigation potential
The reassessed Ultimate Irrigation Potential (UIP) is 139.89 million hectare (Mha ).
This reassessment has been done on the basis of the reassessment of the potential of
ground water from 40 M-ha to 64.05 M-ha and reassessment of potential of surface
minor irrigation from 15 M-ha to 17.38 M-ha Thus, there has been an increase of 26.39
M-ha in the UIP of the country, which was 113.5 M-ha Before reassessment. At the
inception of planning in India in 1951 the created irrigation potential was 22.60 M-ha
The irrigation potential created upto the end of Eighth Plan has increased to 89.56 M-ha
Major and medium irrigation
The Ultimate Irrigation Potential of the country from Major and Medium Irrigation
projects has been assessed as 58.5 m ha. This includes projects with a culturable
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command area of more than two thousand hectare. The potential created up to the end
of the Seventh Plan (1985-90) was 29.92 M-ha and at the beginning of the Eighth Five
Year Plan (1992-93) was 30.74 M-ha
A target 5.09 M-ha had been set for creation of additional potential during the Eighth
Plan (1992-97) against which, the potential created was about 2.22 M-ha Thus, at the
end of the Eighth Plan, the cumulative irrigation potential created from major and
Medium irrigation was about 32.96 M-ha According to a provisional estimate, the
irrigation potential through Major & Medium projects has reached the level of 34.5 M-ha
By 1998-99.
Minor irrigation
All ground water and surface water schemes having culturable command area (CCA)
upto 2000 ha individually are classified as minor irrigation schemes. Ground water
development is primarily done through individual and cooperative efforts of the farmers
with the help of institutional finance and their own savings. Surface water minor
irrigation schemes are generally funded from the public sector outlay.

3.1.16 Some important terms
Culturable Command Area (CCA): The gross command area contains unfertile barren
land, alkaline soil, local ponds, villages and other areas as habitation. These areas are
called unculturable areas. The remaining area on which crops can be grown
satisfactorily is known as cultivable command area (CCA). Culturable command area
can further be divided into 2 categories
1. Culturable cultivated area: It is the area in which crop is grown at a particular
time or crop season.
2. Culturable uncultivated area: It is the area in which crop is not sown in a
particular season.
Gross command area (GCA): The total area lying between drainage boundaries which
can be commanded or irrigated by a canal system.
G.C.A

= G.C.A

+ UNCULTURABLE

AREA

Water Tanks: These are dug areas of lands for storing excess rain water.
Outlet: This is a small structure which admits water from the distributing channel to a
water course of field channel. Thus an outlet is a sort of head regulator for the field
channel delivering water to the irrigation fields.
Water logged area: An agricultural land is said to be waterlogged when its productivity
or fertility is affected by high water table. The depth of water-table at which it tends to
make the soil water-logged and harmful to the growth and subsistence of plant life
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depends upon the height of capillary fringe, which is the height to which water will rise
due to capillary action. The height of capillary fringe is more for fine grained soil and
less for coarse grained ones.
Permanent wilting point: or the wilting coefficient is that water content at which plants
can no longer extract sufficient water from the soil for its growth. A plant is considered to
be permanently wilted when it will not regain its turbidity even after being placed in a
saturated atmosphere where little or no consumptive water use occurs.

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