Review of Minor Irrigation Projects of India, Mechanics of Tillage and Traction | Mechanics of Tillage and Traction Notes- Agricultural Engg - Agricultural Engineering PDF Download

4.1 Minor Irrigation Potential

India’s total available and usable water resources are estimated at 1,122 billion cubic meter (bcm), of which 690 bcm are from surface water and 432 bcm from groundwater. Against the available usable resources, 629 bcm are currently utilized for various purposes. Irrigation sector’s share of 524 bcm, alone accounts for more than 80% of the usable water resources and this requirement would only rise in coming years for increasing crop production to achieve food security. The incremental production would require concerted efforts towards improving cropping intensity, enhancing the crop yield per hectare in irrigated area and creating new potential in rain-fed areas.

The ultimate irrigation potential (UIP) comprising of major, medium and minor irrigation sectors is estimated at 139.95 mha, of which minor irrigation potential at 81.43 mha (17.38 mha surface water, and 64.05 mha ground water) accounts for 58.2% of the total available irrigation potential. By the end of XI FYP, it is estimated that minor irrigation potential of 64.92 mha (15.31 mha surface water and 49.61 mha groundwater) would be cumulatively created. The share of groundwater accounts about 45% of the total irrigation potential developed so far in the country. Thus minor irrigation, in general and groundwater in particular, has been playing a very important role in creation of overall irrigation potential in the country and the term Minor Irrigation is misleading.

All surface and ground water schemes with cultivable command area up to 2,000 ha are classified as Minor Irrigation schemes. These include inter alia, kuhals, tanks with surplus weirs, canals and sluices, diversion weirs (anicuts), lift irrigation schemes and sub-surface water schemes viz. dug wells, tube-wells, farm ponds, check dams, khadins, snow harvesting structures, etc. In many States/ regions minor irrigation schemes serve more than 60% of total irrigated agriculture. The Minor Irrigation sector is spread over the entire country particularly in its rural environment. It provides inclusiveness.

4.2 Minor Irrigation Administration

In general, Minor Irrigation is a part of the Water Resources Department in the states and Union Territories, although in some of the States, separate minor irrigation department has been established. However, in smaller States, particularly in the North East, minor irrigation sector is attached with the Public Works Department/Agricultural department or other department. Depending upon the size of the budget and administrative convenience of the State, the structure of minor irrigation department and its functions are different from State to State. In most of the States where minor irrigation is part of the Water Resources organization, it is headed by a Chief Engineer for the entire State.

Minor Irrigation schemes, in general, are formulated, planned, investigated and implemented by the farmers, NGOs, Panchayats, State Governments and Union Territories. Minor irrigation schemes have very short gestation period, produce quick outcomes and should be accorded priority in investment decisions. The Government of India provides financial support which is catalytic and promotional in nature. As per the present guidelines, States do not require clearance of Government India for Minor Irrigation projects. Significant development and funding take place in private sector, i.e. by farmers, industries and NGOs. This is particularly relevant to groundwater schemes, while surface water schemes are by and large public funded i.e. State and Central Government.

Various Ministries at the Centre and different departments of State Governments function in different ways for development of this Sector. Besides Ministry of Water Resources, minor irrigation projects are also financed by the Ministries of Agriculture, Rural Development and Tribal Welfare and also by the Planning Commission through various programmes. The broad objectives of such programmes related to minor irrigation are development of small sources of water storage and distribution for agriculture. A few States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal are also implementing schemes of development of groundwater for irrigation with a component of subsidy / loan available to farmers. Similarly, NABARD and State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (SCARDBs) have been playing an important role in credit disbursement for minor irrigation development in the country.

To achieve food security in coming years, it is important not only to create additional irrigation potential but also to bridge gap between potential created and utilized. There is need to give emphasis to sustainable groundwater irrigation development, adopting water conservation practices, using efficient technologies, reviving dysfunctional groundwater schemes, conjunctive use of surface water and ground water, artificial recharge of ground water, reviving traditional water conservation structures, rain water harvesting, bringing in surface minor scheme as part of major irrigation schemes for regular availability of water and treatment of the watersheds to minimise rainwater run-off in various parts of the country.

4.3 Minor Irrigation Development Scenario

The 1st Plan started in 1951 with an irrigation potential of only 22.60 mha of which contribution of Minor Irrigation was 12.90 mha i.e. 57% (surface water 6.40 mha and Groundwater 6.50 mha). From then onwards over successive plan periods, irrigation potential increased steadily in surface water schemes.

If VI Plan is taken as the mid-level to assess the complete plan-wise development for the six decades till the end of XI Plan, it is observed that, at the start of VI Plan(in 1980), irrigation potential created in surface water (MI) was 8.00 mha and groundwater 22.00 mha respectively. There was reportedly no potential gap between creation and utilization till that period.

The total potential created at (30 mha) in 1980 points that the growth was modest, more so, for surface water schemes. The momentum picked up in irrigation potential created after 1980 was particularly by groundwater schemes which were popularly adopted due to rural electrification and green revolution technologies. The growth is apparently plateauing in VIII, IX and X Plan performances. For the minor irrigation scenario as a whole, the potential created by the end of X Plan is 60.10 mha and the potential utilized at 52.42 mha only. However, with access to new technologies in drilling, pump sets and irrigation systems, noticeable acceleration in irrigation potential created was observed in groundwater sector. Irrigation potential created and utilised in groundwater sector played a vital role giving a boost to the food production and socio-economic status of farmers in various parts of the country.

On the financial front, unit cost of irrigation potential created in minor irrigation sector especially in groundwater remain low compared to major, medium & minor surface irrigation projects. The expenditure incurred in minor irrigation sector during 1st Plan was Rs 65.6 crore, about 14.84% of the total plan outlay of Rs 441.8 crore in irrigation sector. The Plan investment steadily increased up to Rs 8,634.99 crore during IX Plan and further onto Rs 14,140.70 crore during X Plan. Salient details of the growth in surface and groundwater potential and investments made over different Plan periods till XI Plan are given in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1: Minor Irrigation development during Plan Periods (Physical & Financial)

Though Plan investments increased steadily in water sector in Major, Medium and Minor surface Irrigation in successive plans, however focus on investments by the central & state governments in groundwater irrigation sector remain meager ( up to the extent of giving subsidy / loans) leaving largely responsibility of the private sector. It is pertinent to state that majority of investments made in groundwater sector in irrigation was by the farmers themselves and was not suitably projected as part of investments in irrigation sector. A major credit of achieving self reliance in food production of the country goes to farmers’ investments in groundwater sector.

4.3.1 Surface Water Development

Surface water development has been entirely controlled by the government sector in contrast to private sector domination in groundwater development. Minor irrigation tanks which were managed by village communities come under the control of the government. Though Central and State Government implemented several new schemes to augment the irrigation development through major and medium irrigation projects in the country, financial assistance to surface minor schemes has been rather limited considering that there was negligible private sector involvement and the preference of the governments was towards mega schemes in past.

The growth in surface water (minor) irrigation potential has been modest as seen from Table 4.1 above. The criterion of minor irrigation schemes as having estimated cost less than Rs 25 lakh was changed to culturable command area basis in 1978. Thereby, some of the earlier conceived medium irrigation schemes consisting of large dams and canal networks came under the scope of minor irrigation which gave an artificial boost to Plan-wise irrigation development for surface water MI potential during the VI Plan. By the end of the Tenth Plan an irrigation potential of 14.752 mha has been created and 12.315 (83.5%) mha has been utilized as against ultimate irrigation potential of 17.372 mha. While the all India figures may appear closer to ultimate, there is still a lot of potential left with eastern and Northeastern states with sizable scope from Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka state also. However, estimation of ultimate irrigation potential requires detailed scrutiny and larger concern is the declining trend in actual utilization. As per III MI Census of 2001 which roughly translates to the end of IX Plan, there are about 12.48 lakh MI schemes in the country belonging to various categories namely tanks and other storages, lift irrigation schemes and permanent/temporary diversions, of which about 9.84 lakh are in use. The ultimate irrigation potential of 12.48 lakh schemes is about 17.34 mha. For schemes in use, against a potential created of 10.028 mha, about 6.77 mha is actually being utilized. Correct and reliable statistics on irrigated areas is necessary to facilitate planning of surface water (MI) potential development.

4.3.2 Groundwater Development

India is the largest groundwater user in the world, with an estimated usage of around 230 cubic kilometres per year, more than a quarter of the global total. Groundwater has an important role in meeting water demands. Erratic precipitation and near utilization of surface water resources, new drilling and pumping technologies, etc. were a few of the reasons for shifting the focus of stakeholders towards groundwater resources.

A summary of irrigation statistics during different plan periods shows that major share of minor irrigation comes from groundwater sources and about 45.348 mha of all irrigation (102.77 mha) was through groundwater till the end of X Plan period. In general, creation of irrigation potential through groundwater is mainly by farmers with their own resources or credit and the government investment is not very large. The area benefitted from a single scheme of surface water is large compared to that of groundwater as each structure in groundwater irrigation is considered as a scheme and the area benefitted is comparatively less. However, as per 2001 MI Census, Groundwater schemes (Tube well/Bore well/Dug well) had utilized 87% of the total irrigation potential created by MI Schemes.

There has been a phenomenal increase in growth of groundwater abstraction structures. The number of dug wells, in past five decades increased from 3.8 million to 9.6 million, shallow tube wells from 3,000 to 8.36 million and deep tube wells from negligible to 5.3 lakh. Electrical pump sets have increased from negligible to 14.8 million and diesel pumps from 66,000 to 6.34 million. Data available from the census of minor irrigation structures indicates a three-fold increase in the number of ground water abstraction structures from about 6 million during 1982-83 to about 18.5 million during 2001-02. The growth has been more pronounced in shallow and deep tube wells (17 to 18 times) when compared to dug wells (about 2 times). This shift is probably the combined result of deepening ground water levels and advances in drilling and pumping technology. The ground water draft for the country as a whole has been estimated for 2004 as 231 bcm, about 92 percent of which is utilized for irrigation and the remaining 8 percent for domestic uses. Hence, the stage of ground water development, computed as the ratio of annual ground water draft to net annual ground water availability is about 58 percent for the country as a whole. The ultimate irrigation potential that can be created from replenishable groundwater has been assessed as 64.05 mha. Over the past five decades, rapid expansion in the use of ground water, primarily for irrigation, has contributed significantly to agricultural and economic development of India. The progress in groundwater schemes picked up momentum during the III Plan period (1961- 66) and continued till 1992. The VII Plan (1985-1990) witnessed an unprecedented achievement of 7.80 mha of groundwater potential. Ultimately, the cumulative groundwater potential rose to 38.89 mha in 1992. During the VIII, IX & X Plans however, there was a perceptible drop as progress slackened to 1.91 mha, 2.50 mha and 2.81 mha respectively for the three Plan periods. The potential of ground water created till X Plan(up to 2007) was 45.348 mha and utilization was 40.105 mha (89%).

Ground water development is not uniform across the country. It is very high in alluvial areas of Indo-Gangetic plains of Punjab (170 %) and Haryana (127 %) and as low as 22% and less in many States including Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, North Eastern States, etc. The ground water development in hard rock terrains of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states is also very high.

Stage of ground water development in Rajasthan, which covers part of Thar Desert, is 135 %. Though over-development of resources in some parts of the country has created serious problems, a large portion of GW resources are still untapped, in eastern and north eastern parts of the country mainly in the states of Assam, Bihar and West Bengal. The block-wise status of groundwater development in the country is as follows:

• Out of 5,845 assessment units (blocks/ mandals / talukas / watersheds), 803 (13.7%) are categorized as “overexploited” where the stage of groundwater development exceeds the annual replenishment and significant decline in long-term ground water level trend has been observed in either pre-monsoon or post-monsoon or both;

• In addition, 169 (2.9%) blocks/watersheds are “critical” where ground water development has reached a high stage of development (> 90% and up to 100%) and significant decline is observed in the long term water level trend in both pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods;

• There are 522 (8.9%) semi-critical units, with the stage of ground water development between 70% and 100 % and significant decline in long term water level trend has been recorded in either pre-monsoon or post-monsoon.

• Of the remaining, 4,280 (73%) units are under safe category and 71 (1.2%) units are saline.

The overdraft has resulted in failure of wells, shortage of water supplies, deepening of existing structures thereby increasing pumping lift, replacing centrifugal pumps with submersible ones, increasing pumping cost and energy usage. In many areas overdraft is also associated with the water quality deterioration due to upcoming of saline water from the lower aquifer. Inadequately planned utilization of arsenic loaded ground water in West Bengal has led to serious health problems in human being, livestock etc.

Though groundwater plays an important role in meeting water demands, Government investment in groundwater development and management is minimal compared to surface water. Studies have shown that unit cost of water for irrigation through groundwater is more than Rs1 per cubic meter, which is borne by the individuals on their own. At the same time, the water charges levied by the Project Authorities for surface water irrigation works out to less than Rs 0.5 per cubic meter and cost of construction of surface storage/conveyance system and operation and maintenance are borne by the Government. A major share of expenditure in groundwater irrigation is private and not properly reflected in groundwater schemes/ programmes.

About 97% of the groundwater schemes are owned by private enterprises. While management of schemes by private individuals is more efficient and has contributed to hugely to food production, unguided and unregulated private investment in groundwater development, aided by free to subsidized electricity, has left its imprints by way of sharp decline in groundwater levels, drying of many shallow tube wells and overexploitation of groundwater resource. The present scenario, ranging from overexploited stage of resource development in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Western Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh to low stage in Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal is the result of unregulated and unguided investments by farmers. Central and State Groundwater Departments are basically involved in research kind and not in groundwater irrigation sector for planning and implementation of schemes in most of the States. Also, there are several States with no dedicated groundwater department to take the role of proper planning, guidance to stakeholders, assessment and keeping a watch on the stage of groundwater use.

4.4 XI Plan Performance Overview

The National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Department (NCIWRD) has adopted figures of 1,581 million and 1,346 million as the high and low projection of population by the year 2050 where it is assumed will get stabilized. In their estimate urban population in the year 2050 is likely between 646 million and 971 million. The total food requirement for the country has been estimated as 449 million tons (high demand scenario) and 382 million tons (low demand scenario). Food requirement, losses in storage and transportation, seed requirement and carry over for years of monsoon failure have been estimated at 12.5% of food grain production. Thus food grain production is required to double to about 420 million tons from the present level of about 210 million tons to meet the projected requirement. Thus, on an average, food grain production needs to be enhanced by around 5 million tons per year. Accordingly targeted growth of 25 million tons in food grain production is to be achieved in XI Plan. The X Plan Working Group had assessed that proportionate share of minor irrigation sector at 60% would be 15 Million tons which would require creation of additional irrigation potential of 7 mha. This potential was distributed at 4.5 mha for groundwater schemes and 2.5 mha for surface water schemes and targets were set for XI Plan accordingly. The target of 2.5 mha for surface schemes was further distributed at 1.5 mha for new schemes and 1.0 mha for renovation of tanks.

The following issues in Minor Irrigation Sector are addressed in XI plan:

i) Renovation/Restoration of old tanks as well as old diversion, channels in hilly regions along with improving efficiency of the projects. Besides surface lift schemes may also be given due consideration, particularly, in hilly regions for irrigating high terraces.

ii) Expansion of irrigation facilities through a time bound programme for exploiting the huge ground water potential in the Eastern Region.

iii) Promotion of Micro Irrigation System in water deficit areas.

iv) Promotion of Ground Water Development in areas having untapped/ unutilized potential.

v) MGNAREGA and watershed development may be linked with Minor Irrigation/Ground Water Development.

vi) A comprehensive Act for regulation of ground water development on sustainable basis.

4.4.1 Overview of XI Plan Progress/Performance

Against the target of 7 mha recommended by the Working Group of XI Plan, 7.188 mha was approved by the Planning Commission for Minor Irrigation Sector. The outlay proposed by the working group for minor irrigation sector for XI Plan was not approved by the Planning Commission. The year-wise outlay for the first four years of XI Plan kept by Planning Commission is given in Table 4.2, works out to be Rs 38,478.757 crore for XI Plan. Table 4.2 gives the details of physical and financial performance of Minor Irrigation Sector during XI Plan. Actual expenditure from 2009-10 onwards is not available so the same has been taken as equal to the revised outlay.

Table 4.2: Physical & Financial Performance of MI Sector during 11th Plan

# anticipated; * targeted

The achievement in potential created for the first three years in XI Plan was 2.69 mha. In the Mid Term Appraisal of XI Plan, the revised target of 4.5 mha has been kept and it is anticipated that the target 4.5 mha will be achieved by the end of XI Plan.