Irrigation Systems
Indian Agriculture · सिंचाई प्रणाली · 18 facts
India has about 140 million hectares of net sown area — only about 65% is under irrigation, leaving rest dependent on monsoon.
Canal irrigation is the most important irrigation method in Punjab, Haryana, and UP — the Upper Ganga Canal (1854) was the first major canal in India.
Tank irrigation is traditional and predominant in South India — Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka have the highest number of irrigation tanks.
Well and Tube-well irrigation is the largest source of irrigation in India — Uttar Pradesh has the largest area under tube-well irrigation (~40% of irrigated area).
Drip irrigation (trickle irrigation) was developed in Israel — it supplies water directly to plant roots, saving up to 50-70% water. Maharashtra has the largest area under drip irrigation.
Sprinkler irrigation is suitable for undulating terrain and sandy soil — Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab are major users of sprinkler irrigation.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) was launched in 2015 with the motto 'Har Khet Ko Pani, More Crop Per Drop' to improve farm-level water efficiency.
Indira Gandhi Canal (Rajasthan Canal) is the world's longest irrigation canal — it carries water from the Harike Barrage (confluence of Beas and Sutlej) to the Thar Desert.
Ken-Betwa River Link Project is the first inter-linking of rivers project to be executed — it will divert water from the Ken River to the Betwa River in Bundelkhand region.
Bharat Mala Water Grid project aims to link major rivers to ensure water availability across the country — the National Water Grid concept.
Lift irrigation systems pump water from rivers or reservoirs to higher elevation fields — important in hilly states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Flood (furrow) irrigation is the most common but least efficient method — it wastes large amounts of water through evaporation and runoff.
Sardar Sarovar Dam (Gujarat) on the Narmada River is one of India's largest water resource projects providing irrigation to Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.
Micro-irrigation Fund (MIF) worth Rs 5000 crore was created with NABARD to promote drip and sprinkler irrigation — to achieve 'Per Drop More Crop'.
Net irrigated area in India is about 70-75 million hectares — groundwater accounts for more than 60% of total irrigation in the country.
Water User Associations (WUAs) are formed at village level to manage irrigation water from canals — they promote participatory irrigation management.
India is the largest user of groundwater in the world — over-extraction has led to falling water tables in states like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
AIBP (Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme), renamed under PMKSY, aims to complete incomplete irrigation projects and create additional irrigation potential.