Chapter-12

Irrigation

12.1. World Irrigation Scenario : As per International Commission on Irrigation

and Drainage, Annual Report 2014-15 , world-wide, the area equipped for
irrigation is about 318 million hectare(ha), while the actual irrigated area is
about 300 million ha. The highest share of irrigated area is by emerging/
developing countries (78%), followed by developed countries (16%), and in the
least developed countries (6%). On regional basis, the highest irrigated area is
in Asia (72%) followed by Americas (15%), Europe (8%), and Africa (5%).

12.2 Due to increasing water scarcity, growing shortage of and expensive farm
labour, sprinkler and micro irrigation is expanding rapidly in many countries. As
a result, worldwide, the micro irrigation coverage has increased from 3.0 million
ha in 2000 to about 11 million ha in 2013. Presently, the sprinkler irrigation is
used on 43 million ha. The micro irrigation is likely to grow faster in coming
years, especially in arid and semi-arid countries.
12.3 Irrigation in India : Irrigation Projects in India are classified into three
categories viz. Major, Medium and Minor Irrigation. Projects which have a
Cultivable Command Area (CCA) of more than 10,000 hectare are termed as
Major Projects, those which have a CCA of less than 10,000 hectare but more than
2,000 hectare are termed as Medium projects and those Irrigation Projects which
have a CCA of 2,000 hectare or less are known as Minor projects. A broad
assessment of the area that can be ultimately brought under irrigation, both
by surface and ground water, made by the various States in sixties has
indicated that ultimate irrigation potential of the country would be of the order of
113m.ha (million hectare). However, the ultimate potential is 139 m.ha, the
increase being primarily due to upward revision in assessed potential of minor
ground water schemes and minor surface water schemes to 64 m.ha. and
17m.ha. respectively. Minor irrigation projects have both surface and ground water
as their source, while Major and Medium projects mostly exploit surface water
resources.

12.4. Types of Irrigation Technique: Various types of irrigation techniques

differ in how the water obtained from the source is distributed within the field. In
general, the goal is to supply the entire field uniformly with water, so that each
plant has the amount of water it needs, neither too much nor too little. The
various irrigation techniques are as under:

 Surface Irrigation: In surface irrigation systems, water moves

over and across the land by simple gravity flow in order to wet it and
to infiltrate into the soil. Surface irrigation can be subdivided into furrow,
border strip or basin irrigation. It is often called flood irrigation when the
irrigation results in flooding or near flooding of the cultivated land.

 Localized Irrigation: Localized irrigation is a system where water is

distributed under low pressure through a piped network, in a pre-
determined pattern, and applied as a small discharge to each plant or
adjacent to it. Drip irrigation, spray or micro-sprinkler irrigation and
bubbler irrigation belong to this category of irrigation methods.

 Drip Irrigation: Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation,

functions as its name suggests. Water is delivered at or near the root
zone of plants, drop by drop. This method can be the most water-
efficient method of irrigation, if managed properly, since evaporation
and runoff are minimized. In modern agriculture, drip irrigation is often
combined with plastic mulch, further reducing evaporation, and is also
the means of delivery of fertilizer.
  Sprinkler Irrigation: In sprinkler or overhead irrigation, water is
piped to one or more central locations within the field and distributed by
overhead high-pressure sprinklers or guns. A system utilizing
sprinklers, sprays, or guns mounted overhead on permanently installed
risers is often referred to as a solid-set irrigation system. Higher
pressure sprinklers that rotate are called rotors and are driven by a ball
drive, gear drive, or impact mechanism. Guns are used not only for
irrigation, but also for industrial applications such as dust suppression
and logging. Sprinklers can also be mounted on moving platforms
connected to the water source by a hose. Automatically moving
wheeled systems known as traveling sprinklers may irrigate areas such as
small farms, sports fields, parks, pastures, and cemeteries
unattended.

• Sub-Irrigation: Sub-irrigation also sometimes called seepage

irrigation has been used for many years in field crops in areas with high
water tables. It is a method of artificially raising the water table to allow
the soil to be moistened from below the plants' root zone. Often
those systems are located on permanent grasslands in lowlands or
river valleys and combined with drainage infrastructure. A system
of pumping stations, canals, weirs and gates allows it to increase or
decrease the water level in a network of ditches and thereby control the
water table. Sub-irrigation is also used in commercial greenhouse
production, usually for potted plants. Water is delivered from below,
absorbed upwards, and the excess collected for recycling.

12.5 Net Irrigated Area : The net area under irrigation by all sources of
irrigation increased from 56.9 million hectares in 2001-02 to 66.1 million hectares in
2012-13, an increase of over 16% . During the last decade i.e. 2002-03 to 2012-13,
net area under irrigation has shown an increasing trend except for 2009-10 when it
dropped by about 3 % compared to the previous year .

Net Irrigated Area(000 Hectares) 66103

70000 62744 63189 63638 63657 65693
59229 60837 61936
56936 53897 57057
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0

2012-13
12.6 Sources of Irrigation: Various sources of irrigation in India are canals, tanks
, tube wells and other wells, with tube wells and canals together accounting for about
70 % of total irrigation. Compared to 2001-02, irrigation during 2012-13, through
tube wells has increased by about 31% whereas that through tanks has declined by
about 20%.There has been 16 % increase in net irrigated area during the period.
Irrigation through canals hah increased by meager 3 % . Private canals accounted
for only 1 % share as most of the canals are government owned.

Irrigation through various sources (‘000 hectares)

90000
80000 6020 7228 7466
5999 6107 6855
5966 7008
70000 4342 4299 7538 10698 9864 10389
10630
10595 10764
3658 10044 9992
11952 9693 9956
60000 8727

50000 26026 26942 28497 28367

28544 29942 30497
23245 26691 25235 28371
25627
40000 2083 2078 1973 1981
2196 1587 1980 1918 1748
1916 1734
1811
30000
16718 17027 16748 16881 16010
15202 14458 14766 14978 15647 15628
20000 14073

10000
0
2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09(p) 2009-10(p) 2010-11(p) 2011-12(p) 2012-13(p)

Series1 Series2 Canals Tanks Tube-Wells Other Wells Other Sources

Irrigation Through Various Sources – Decadal Comparison

2002-03 2012-13

Other Other
Sources Sources
Other 7% Canals Canals
11% 24%
Wells 26% Other
16% Wells
16% Tanks
Tanks 3%
3%

Tube Tube
Wells Wells
48% 46%
12.7 Southern States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra & Karnataka accounted for about
65-70 percent of total irrigation through tanks during 2008-09 to 2011-12 .However
their share dropped to about 61% during 2012-13. Among major states, canal
irrigation is more popular in Tamil Nadu, Kerala , J& K and Chhattisgarh over
irrigation through Tube Wells. Whereas in Northern states of Punjab, Rajasthan,
Bihar , UP etc share of tube wells in irrigation is significantly higher. In fact, out of
the area irrigated through tube wells throughout India, Uttar Pradesh alone accounts
for about one third of the total irrigated area.

12.8 Irrigated Area Under Crops (2011-12) : There has been about 18%
increase in total gross area under irrigation since 2001-02 with about 92.6 million
hectares being irrigated in 2012-13 compared to about 78.4 million hectares in
2001-02. During the period, Food crops have accounted for about 82-84 % of gross
irrigated area under all crops. Amongst about 18% gross irrigated area under non
food crops, oilseeds, cotton and fodder crops accounted for 8-9 % , 3-4 % and 3 %
respectively. During the period, out of the food crops, wheat and rice taken
together accounted for about 71-72 % of gross irrigated area and about 58-60 %
share of irrigation amongst total irrigated area under all crops ( both food and non
food). Wheat had marginally more area under irrigation compared to rice and the
gap has been slightly increasing since 2009-10.

Total Gross Irrigated Area Under All Crops

('000 Hectares)
91730 92575
100000 88058 88896 88887
84280 86753 85085
90000 78371 78042 81078
80000 73055
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0

2012-13
12.9 Recent Initiatives: ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana’
was launched with the motto of ‘Har Khet Ko Paani’. Micro irrigation
would be popularised to ensure ‘Per drop-More crop’ .

12.10 The overreaching vision of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee

Yojana (PMKSY) is to ensure access to some means of protective
irrigation to all agricultural farms in the country, to produce ‘per drop
more crop’, thus bringing much desired rural prosperity.

12.11 Amongst various objectives in the Scheme are convergence of

investments in irrigation at the field level, physical access of water on
the farm,and expansion of cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har
Khet ko pani), enhancement of the adoption of precision-irrigation ,
reduction of wastage of water etc.

12.12 PMKSY will have following programme components:

A. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme(AIBP)
B. PMKSY (Har Khet ko Pani)
C. PMKSY (Per Drop More Crop)
D. PMKSY (Watershed Development)

12.13 District Irrigation Plans (DIPs) shall be the cornerstone for

planning and implementation of PMKSY. The DIPs are to be vetted by the
Governing body of Zila Panchayat and subsequently be incorporated in
the State Irrigation Plan (SIP).

12.14 PMKSY funds will be provided to the State Governments as

per the pattern of assistance of Centrally Sponsored Schemes decided by
Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog. State Agriculture Department will be
the Nodal Department for implementation of PMKSY. All communication
between Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and State Government would be
with and through the nodal department.
References :

• International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, Annual

Report 2014-15

• Website of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of

Agriculture & Farmer Welfare.