Irrigation Potential and Its Utilization in India

In this article we will discuss about the development of irrigation potential and its utilisation in India.

Development of Irrigation Potential in India:

To cope with the programme of intensive cultivation through IADP and HYVP, various steps are constantly being taken by the Central and State Governments for all-round development of irrigation potential and its utilisation in India. Table 7.12 shows the development of irrigation potential in India since 1950-51.

Table 7.12 shows that in 1951, the irrigation potential of both major and medium projects and minor projects were of the order of 10 million hectares and 13 million hectares respectively making the total potential to 23 million hectares.

But in 2006-07 total irrigation potential of major and medium projects, gradually increased to 42.4 million hectares and that of minor projects to 60.4 million hectares making the total potential to 102.8 million hectares.

In India, out of the total cultivable area of 186 million hectares and net sown area of 143 million hectares, the ultimate irrigation potential from all projects is estimated at 114 million hectares which is again reassessed to 139.89 million hectares in recent years.

The country has a long term objective to utilise this ultimate potential by the year 2010. To fulfill this objective, the Government has prepared a national perspective plan for the development and utilisation of water resources of the country.

The Tenth Plan set a target to increase the total irrigation potential to 110.5 million hectares by 2006-07 and has been able to raise it to 102.8 million hectares. Again, total irrigation potential in the country has increased from 81.1 million hectares in 1991-92 to 108.2 million hectares in March, 2010.

At the beginning of the Tenth Plan, there were 159 major projects with a spillover cost of Rs 58.344 crore, 242 medium projects with a spillover cost of Rs 4,465 crore and 89 Extension, Renovation and Modernisation projects with a spillover cost of Rs 8,253 crore. Utilisation of Irrigation Potential in India

Utilisation of Irrigation Potential in India:

In India, the irrigation potential developed through various major, medium and minor irrigation projects has not been fully utilised. In 1980-81, out of the total irrigation potential of 58 million hectares, the actual utilisation was 54 million hectares; Table 7.13 shows the development and utilisation of irrigation potential in India in recent years.

Table 7.13 shows that by the end of Tenth Plan, the total irrigation potential developed in India was to the extent of 102.8 million hectares, which consists of 42.4 million hectares under major and medium irrigation and the remaining 60,4 million hectares under minor irrigation.

Unfortunately, there has been a large gap in utilisation of created potential. At the end of Tenth plan, total utilisation of irrigation potential was to the extent of 87.2 million hectares as against the total created potential of 102.8 million hectares showing a gap of 15.6 million hectares.

The main reasons behind this non- utilisation of created potential are delay involved in the development of on-farm works like construction of field channels, land leveling or shaping and adoption of the warabandi system and finally the time taken by farmers in switching over the new cropping patterns, i.e., from dry farming to irrigated farming.

In order to bridge the gap between created potential and its utilisation, a centrally sponsored Command Area Development Scheme (CADS) was initiated in 1974-75. This scheme was also introduced for increasing the agricultural production from the irrigated commands.

This programme envisaged execution of on-farm development works like construction of field channels, land leveling and shaping, implementation of warabandi (network of distributaries and minor over the command area) for rotational supply of water and construction of field drains.

Besides, the programme also encompasses adaptive trails, demonstration and training of farmers and suitable cropping patterns. As on 31st March 1995, Rs4322 crore were spent on the programme out of which the central assistance component was amounted to Rs 1426 crore. In 1999-2000, Rs 163.3 crore were released to states as central assistance under the CADS programme.

The restructured Command Area Development and Water Management Programme which started in April 2004 is aimed at bringing about better water management practices and efficient utilisation of irrigation water which, inter-alia, includes taking up corrective measure for rectification of deficiencies of delivery systems on the one hand and participation of water users in shaping the cost of works on the other.

The programme would cover 133 project commands with total Culturable Command Area of 1.7 million hectares. The work is already in progress in 0.9 million hectares and is expected to pick up by the end of the year 2004-05.

In order to cover larger area under irrigation, the Government sanctioned a National Project for Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies directly linked to agriculture in January 2005 with an estimated cost of Rs. 300 crore to be shared by the Centre and States in 3: 1 ratio.

The water bodies having cultivated command area of more than one hectare and up to 2,000 hectares were included under the pilot scheme in one or two districts in each state. The scheme was approved for 26 districts in 15 states. Central share of Rs 179.3 crore has been released to the states till November 30, 2007, covering 1,098 water bodies.

The physical work for restoration has been completed for 733 water bodies and the work is in progress in the remaining 365 water bodies.

Minor irrigation schemes include ground water and surface water schemes. While, ground water schemes include dug wells, shallow tube wells and pump sets, the surface water schemes include tanks and reservoir, diversion schemes, lift irrigation from river and streams.

These schemes have been accorded special attention under the Special Food grains Production Programme. At the end of 2006-07, irrigation potential created and its utilisation through Minor irrigation schemes was estimated at 60.4 million hectares and 52.8 million hectares respectively.

Among different sources of irrigation, minor irrigation has certain advantages as it is less capital intensive and requires less time to construct. Thus, in recent years, emphasis is being laid on the creation of minor irrigation schemes to cover both surface and ground water. Due to its advantageous water table levels, the eastern sector will receive special attention for exploration of minor irrigation in its future plans.

One of the major objectives of the Eighth Plan was to strengthen the infrastructure for irrigation.

The major elements incorporated to meet the strategy under the Eighth Plan include giving priority attention to the completion of on-going projects, ensuring speedy transit to irrigated agriculture and optimum use of water through Command Area Development (CAD) programme, installation of sprinkler and drip irrigation system in water scarce and drought-prone areas and encouragement to surface water and lift irrigation schemes.

Moreover, suggestions for a National Water Grid for transferring water from water surplus to water deficit areas have been made from time to time. In spite of these schemes, Indian agriculture is still heavily rainfall dependent with just 35 per cent of total arable area being irrigated, and distribution of irrigation across states is highly skewed.

Focus on micro-irrigation systems like drips and sprinklers would significantly increase water-use efficiency and productivity.

The wide gap existing between gross cropped area and gross irrigated area (around 100 million hectare) which has not improved much since the First Five Year Plan period, till the Eleventh Plan period, needs to be bridged for increasing productivity, production level and resilience.