Major Sources and Major Canals of Irrigation in Uttar Pradesh | Course for UPPSC Preparation - UPPSC (UP) PDF Download

Uttar Pradesh has different sources of irrigation like canals, tubewells, wells and tanks which help to accelerate the agricultural activities in the state.
According to Economic Survey 2017-18, around 52% agricultural land of Uttar Pradesh is irrigated land and depended on rainfall. Due to unpredictable and inadequate monsoon rainfall the state has many artificial sources of irrigation. In Uttar Pradesh 71.8% area is irrigated by tubewells 18.9% by canals and 9.3% area is irrigated by wells, tanks, lakes and ponds.

Sources of Irrigation

• Uttar Pradesh has the largest area under well irrigation in India. It is followed by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Bihar.
  • Wells are found in the entire state except mountainous and plateau regions. Wells are the oldest means of irrigation in the state.
  • Ganga valley regions in the state are heavily irrigated by well.
  • There are many different methods of well irrigation that are adopted on the basis of water availability in the state, e.g. Rahat, Dhekli and Bull pulling, Charsa, Chain pump, etc.
  • Gonda, Bahraich, Basti, Faizabad, Sultanpur, Jaunpur, Raebareli, Pratapgarh, Varanasi, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj and Deoria districts of the state are irrigated by wells.

Tubewell Irrigation

• Tubewells are the most popular source of irrigation and covers 71.8% irrigated area in the state.
  • The first tubewell was sunk in 1930 in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Meerut, Mainpuri, Etah, Firozabad, Etawah, Farrukhabad, Bulandshahar, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur and Aligarh are the districts in the state that are extensively irrigated by tube wells.
  • Tube wells which use ground water come under minor irrigation.

Canal Irrigation

• Canals are the third most important source of irrigation in the state after wells and tubewells. The canals are irrigating those lands which have large plains, fertile soils and perennial rivers.
  • Due to the Ganga and other perennial rivers, the canal irrigation has been developed in the state.
  • Though the Eastern Uttar Pradesh receives sufficient rain, less irrigation is needed in comparison to Western Uttar Pradesh. Thus, many canals have been constructed in the Western part of Uttar Pradesh.

Major Canals of Uttar 

• This canal was constructed in 1830 from the left bank of Yamuna near Faizabad in Saharanpur district. It is the oldest canal of Uttar Pradesh. It was first dug by Shahjahan and later constructed by the British.
  • It flows parallel to the Yamuna river in Delhi and later again merges with the river. The canal along its branches is 1440 km long.
  • Around 2 lakh hectare land of Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Hapur, Meerut and Ghaziabad is irrigated by the canal.

Upper Ganga Canal

• This canal was constructed during 1840 to 1854 near Haridwar (Uttarakhand) from the right bank of Ganga.
  • Around 7 lakh hectare land of Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Etah, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Kanpur, Farrukhabad and Fatehpur is irrigated by this canal.
  • The main canal is about 340 km but its branches are of 5,640 km. The canal provides water to two canals namely, Agra Canal and Lower Ganga Canal.

Lower Ganga Canal

• This canal was constructed during 1872 to 1878 at Narora in Bulandshahr district. The canal is divided into two branches i.e. Kanpur Canal and Etawah Canal.
  • Around 4-5 lakh hectare land of Farrukhabad, Kanpur, Fatehpur, Etah, Bulandshahr, Firozabad, Mainpuri and Allahabad (Prayagraj) is irrigated from this canal.
  • Its total length alongwith the main canal, branches and sub-branches is 8,800 km.

Agra Canal

• This canal was constructed in 1878 at Okhla from the right bank of the river Yamuna. Nearly, 1.5 lakh hectare land of Delhi, Gurugram, Mathura, Agra and Bharatpur is irrigated from the water of this canal.
  • The total length of its branches and sub branches is 1600 km. It flows through Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.

Betwa Canal

• This canal was constructed in 1885 at Parichha, 24 km away from Jhansi on river Betwa. Parichha dam is located on Betwa river. Nearly, 83 thousand hectare land of Jhansi, Jalaun and Hamirpur is irrigated from this canal.
  • The canal has two branches namely Hamirpur branch and Khethona branch.

Dhasan Canal

• This canal has been constructed on Ghasan river, which is a tributary of Betwa river.
  • The canal irrigates the land of Hamirpur district. It was constructed in the year 1910.

Sharda Canal

• It is the longest canal in the state and was constructed during 1920 to 1928.
  • Sharda canal system is one of the biggest and oldest canal systems of Uttar Pradesh.
  • The canal has been constructed at Banbasa of Champawat area on river Sharda (Kalior Mahakati river) on Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand-Nepal border.
  • Nearly, 8 lakh hectare land of Pilibhit, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur-Kheri, Hardoi, Sitapur, Barabanki, Lucknow, Unnao, Raebareli, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh and Allahabad is irrigated from this canal. Khatima Power Station is constructed on the canal.
  • Its total length along with its branches and sub-branches is 12,368 km.

Gandak Canal

• It is a joint project of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. It was constructed in 1972 as a dam on Buri Gandak river 18 km North of Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border.
  • This canal irrigates the land of Gorakhpur, Maharajganj and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Ramganga Canal

• It was constructed in 1975 at Kalagarh in Pandi district of Uttarakhand on Ramganga river, It is about 128 m wide. The highest dam of Uttar Pradesh, i.e. Ramganga dam, is located on this canal.
  • Districts of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are irrigated by this canal like Bijnor, Amroha, Rampur and Moradabad.

Saryu-Ghaghara Canal

• This project was started in 1977-78 and got the national status in August, 2012. It was constructed at Katar Kania Ghat in Nanpura tehsil of Bahraich district on Ghaghara river.
  • The main objective behind the construction of the canal is to avail the water of rivers Saryu, Rapti and Ghaghara in districts of Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, SantKabir Nagar, Basti, Gorakhpur and Maharajganj
  • A part from this barrage, four other pump canals have been constructed here.

Middle Ganga Canal

• It is a barrage constructed on river Ganga near Bijnor district to merge 115.54 km main Ganga Canal with Upper Ganga Canal and was named Middle Ganga Canal. 
  • Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Firozabad, etc. districts are benefitted from this canal.

Ken Canal

• It is the joint project of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It is constructed at Panna (Madhya Pradesh) on river Ken.
  • Around 1.4 lakh acre land of Banda district of Uttar Pradesh and Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh is irrigated from this canal.
  • Along with its branches and subbranches, the canal is 640 km long. 

Mata Teela Dam Canal or Rani Laxmi Bai Dam

• Two canals namely Gursaria and Mandar have been constructed from Mata Teela dam on river Betwa in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh.
  • Through this canal, land of Jalaun, Lalitpur, Jhansi and Hamirpur districts is irrigated. After completion of second phase of the project, an additional land of 4 lakh acre will be irrigated from this.
  • Now, the canal’s name is changed to Rani Laxmi Bai Dam.

Meja Reservoir Canal

• It is an Earthen dam constructed at river Belan in Allahabad district to construct a 315 km long canal.
  • Nearly, 70,900 acre land of Allahabad and Mirzapur district is irrigated from this reservoir.

Saprar Canal

• This canal has been constructed at the dam of river Saprar near Karonda village, which is 8 km South to Mauranipur, Jhansi district.
  • Nearly, 40 thousand acre land of Jhansi and Hamirpur is irrigated from this canal.

Arjun Dam Canal

• This canal has been constructed on river Arjun in Charkhari, Hamirpur district.
  • Nearly 26,700 acre land of Hamirpur district is irrigated by this canal. 

Rangeba Dam Canal

• This dam has been constructed on river Bern, a tributary of river Ken. This canal supplies water to Ken canal.
  • Nearly, 93 thousand acre land of Hamirpur district can be irrigated with this canal.

Belan-Tons Canal Project

• Baroda dam is constructed on river Belan which is a tributary of river Tons in Rewa (Madhya Pradesh). Apart from this, another reservoir is constructed at Maruhar river, which is a tributary of river Belan.
  • Belan canal irrigated nearly 1 lakh acre land of Allahabad district Prayagraj of Uttar Pradesh.

Nagwa Dam Canal

• The canal has been constructed on the dam of river Karmnasa at Nagwa. Nearly, 60 thousand acre land of Mirzapur and Sonbhadra district is irrigated by this canal.

Naugarh Dam Canal

• This canal is constructed on the river Karmnasa at Naugarh in Ghazipur district. Nearly, 80 thousand acre land of Chandauli in Varanasi division and Jamania Pargana in Ghazipur district is irrigated by this canal.

Chandra Prabha Dam Canal

• It has been constructed near Chakia in Varanasi district on the river Chandraprabha.
  • Nearly, 24 thousand acre land of Chakia and Chandauli tehsil is benefitted from this canal.

Ahrora Dam Canal

• This dam is constructed on the river Gadai in Ahrora in Varanasi district and the canal is emerged from this dam. The canal irrigates the land of Varanasi and Mirzapur districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Lalitpur Dam Canal

• This canal is constructed from the Lalitpur dam which has been constructed on Sahjad river in Lalitpur district. The canal irrigates land of Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Jalaun districts of the state.

Ghaglira Canal

• It is constructed from Ghaghara river. It has two branches namely, Mariham and Ghorayal. It irrigates land of Mirzapur, and Sonbhadra districts of the state.