IRRIGATION COMMAND AREA DEVELOPMENT AND FLOOD CONTROL
INTRODUCTION 3.1 The area under irrigation increased at the rate of 0.7 million hectares per year during the First Plan period, and the growth rate accelerated to 1.6 million hectares and 2.2 million hectares per year during the Fifth and Sixth Plan years, respectively. During the Seventh Plan period, the area under irrigation is proposed to be increased at the rate of 2.5 million hectares per year.
3.2 The major objectives in the irrigation sector during the Seventh Plan will be broadly as follows:
(a) To give priority to the completion of unfinished irrigation projects which are in an advanced stage and are capable of yielding full or partial benefits in the Seventh Plan; giving priority to projects benefiting the tribal areas, drought-prone areas and areas with a sizeable scheduled caste population.
(b) To restrict new starts to medium projects in drought-prone, tribal and backward areas. More emphasis will be laid on minor irrigation programmes which could be completed quickly and start yielding benefits.
(c) To give the highest priority to the utilisation of the existing irrigation potential for optimising production by constructing field channels, land levelling and introduction of Warabandi.
(d) To solve the problems arising from salinity and water-logging in irrigated areas by giving due priority to the drainage schemes for completed irrigation projects and by including the drainage component in new projects.
(e) To accelerate exploration and exploitation of ground-water on a priority basis, particularly in the eastern and north-eastern regions.
(f) To ensure satisfactory maintenance of canals and the distribution system by making adequate financial allocations for such purposes.
(g) To take up necessary action for early implementation of the recommendations of Rashtriya Barh ayog, particularly for legislation to prevent en- croachment in flood-prone areas.
3.3 The following measures will be taken for implementing the major programme outlined above:
(i) Earmarking outlays from year to year for selected projects in order to ensure that adequate funds are made available for their timely completion.
(ii) Monitoring closely and evaluate projects periodically to obtain the benefits in time within the estimated outlay.
(iii) Reviewing the functioning of the existing Command Area Development organisations and taking the necessary measures for effectively integrating the functions of various authorities departments for maximum efficiency.
(iv) Setting up a system of evaluation to assess regularly the performance of Command Area Development projects by appraising the actual benefits through increased utilisation of water and increased production.
(v) Reviewing periodically the water rates to be levied so that they are adequate to meet the cost of operation and maintenance and provide a reasonable return on investment.
(vi) To achieve maximum return with better and improved water management, the farmers' involvement would be ensured through cooperation and other measures in the day-to-day management and distribution of water.
Present Status of Irrigation Development in India 3.4 India has harnessed its vast water resources by creating an irrigation potential of about 68 million hectares by the end of the Sixth Plan period; it ranks first among the countries of the world in respect of existing irrigation facilities. The average annual precipitation excluding evapo-transpiration and soil moisture storage has been estimated at 178 million hectare metres (1780 thousand million cubic metres) which contributes to the surface run-off and the ground water recharge included in the annual hydrological cycle. However, on account of the limitations of topography, physiography, geology, dependability, quality and the present state of technology, only a part of this will be utilisable. The Irrigation Commission (1972) estimated that about 67 million hectare metres of surface water (670 thousand million cubic metres) and 26.5 million hectare metres of ground water (265 thousand million cubic metres) can be utilised. The estimate of the utilisable water resources is, however, expected to improve with the advancement of technology.
Irrigation Potential
3.5 Out of a geographical area of about 329 million hectares the cultivable area, net sown area and gross
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cropped area comprise 186 million hectares, 143 million hectares and 175 million hectares, respectively. The ultimate irrigation potential from major, medium and minor irrigation schemes is estimated at 113.5 million hectares of which 58.5 million hectares is from major and medium schemes and 55 million hectares from minor irrigation schemes. With a view to optimally utilising the available water resources of the country by storage and inter-basin transfer from surplus to deficit and drought-prone area, a national perspective for water resources development has been prepared. It has two components, viz., Himalayan Rivers Development and Peninsular Rivers Development. The national perspective envisages an additional benefit of 25 million hectares from surface water and 10 million hectares by increased use of ground water, which is expected to raise the ultimate irrigation potential from 113.5 million hectares to 148 million hectares. Since available water resources would not be able to serve the entire cultivable area envisaged, greater emphasis has to be laid on optimum use of the irrigation facilities created so that the food production needs of the country are adequately met. It is proposed to utilise the available water resources fully by 2010 AD or so and to create an ultimate irrigation potential of 113.5 million hectares. For this to be possible, a large volume of resources would be required.
3.6 Table 3.1 outlines the development of irrigation potential from the beginning of the First Plan.
3.7 The outlays during the successive Plan periods and the development of irrigation potential are presented in Table 3.2.
3.8 At the beginning of the First Plan 1950-51, irrigation schemes were classified into three categories:
Major, costing more than Rs. 5 crores each; Medium, costing between Rs. 10 lakhs and Rs. 5 crores; and Minor, costing less than Rs. 10 lakhs each.
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According to the revised classification made in April 1978, projects having CCA (culturable command area) of more than 10 thousand hectares each are classified as major projects, those having CCA between 2 thousand hectares and 10 thousand hectares as medium schemes and those having CCA of 2 thousand hectares or less each are classified as minor irrigation schemes.
MAJOR AND MEDIUM IRRIGATION PROGRAMME
Review 3.9 The Sixth Plan envisaged a target for creation of an additional irrigation potential of 5.74 million hectares with an outlay of Rs. 8,391 crores. Due to the overall constraint of resources, there has been a shortfall in the financial provisions to the extent of 10 per cent of the Sixth Plan allocation. Due to year to year escalation in the price level, the financial allocation was much less in real terms. As a result, the anticipated achievement of additional irrigation potential in the Sixth Plan was 3.9 million hectares. Rise in the cost of projects due to general inflation and insufficient availability of financial allocations to complete the on- going projects largely accounted for the shortfall of 1.74 million hectares. Some other factors were the proliferation of projects and thin spreading of resources, problems of land acquisition, rehabilitation, etc. A sizeable outlay under the irrigation sector was to be earmarked for externally-aided projects to honour the commitments made to external financial agencies. Adequate funds, therefore, could not be provided by the States for other projects (not aided externally) which were in advanced stages of completion to yield full or partial benefits during the Sixth Plan period. The external financing agencies, by and large, preferred to finance comparatively new projects instead of concentrating investment on the ongoing schemes for getting early benefits from them. The external aid has undoubtedly contributed to improved technology and more systematic planning through improved engineering practices in design, construction and planning for more assured results-though at a slightly higher cost than that of projects being implemented without external aid.
3.10 At the time of formulation of the Sixth Plan, it was envisaged that 65 major irrigation projects which were started before April 1976 would be completed in the Plan period. The Mid-Term Appraisal of the Sixth Plan revealed that only 38 out of these 65 projects would be completed by the end of the Sixth Plan. According to the latest assessment, only 25 projects would be completed by 1984- 85. The remaining 40 projects would now spill over to the Seventh Plan period. Some of these projects were started before the Fifth Plan period and stress is now being laid on their completion on a priority basis during the Seventh Plan period. The delay in the completion of the selected projects is mainly due to inadequacy of funding, apart from other reasons mentioned earlier. One other notable reason for the delay in completion of projects is the changes in the scope of the originally sanctioned projects. Instead of obtaining regular sanction for additional works, the State Governments are implementing them as part of the original project, without obtaining separate sanction. This has created the impression of irrigation projects lingering for years without completion. It is in this way that 40 projects which have been started before April 1976 are still continuing. It has, therefore, been impressed upon the States by the Planning Commission that when the works as per the approved scope of the projects are completed, the capital accounts should be closed and separate sanction should be obtained for any proposed extension/additional works.
Potential and Utilisation 3.11 However, in spite of the constraints, etc., the rate of growth in the irrigation sector has been, on average, 2.2 million hectares per year during the Sixth Plan, which represents a sizeable improvement on the performance during the earlier Plans. The utilisation of irrigation potential created continued to be low during the Sixth Plan period and the gap between potential and utilisation figures has continued to be of the order of about 5 million hectares, for major and medium irrigation schemes. Concerted efforts would, therefore, be necessary during the Seventh Plan period to bridge this gap as far as possible.
Strategy for the Seventh Plan 3.12 The main strategy. in the Seventh Plan is to increase productivity in the irrigation areas, which is low at present. Irrigation projects which are in an advanced stage of implementation and are capable of yielding full or partial benefits in the Seventh Plan period, would be adequately funded for completion on a priority basis. New starts would be restricted to medium irrigation projects in drought prone, tribal and backward areas. These would be funded adequately in the Seventh Plan so as to yield benefits in the Plan period. In order to maximise benefits from the available resources, the following order of priority would be followed, by and large, for funding of unfinished irrigation projects:
(i) Externally-aided projects to be funded according to the schedule of agreement signed with external agencies;
(ii) Completion of on-going medium irrigation projects, which will be fully funded;
(iii) Completion of pre-Fifth Plan and Fifth Plan major irrigation projects;
(iv) Inter-State multi-purpose and major irrigation projects to be adequately funded for which outlays would be earmarked in the respective plans of the states;
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(v) Acceleration or completion of major irrigation projects of the Annual Plans (1978-80);
(vi) Completion of the Sixth Plan major irrigation projects which are in an advanced stage of construction;
(vii) Provision of necessary funds for modernisation of existing irrigation works.
In order to ensure early completion of the long delayed on-going schemes, outlays would be earmarked from year to year. Similarly, inter-State projects and exterally-aided projects would also be provided with earmarked outlays.
3.13 Utilisation of existing irrigation potential will also be given high priority in the Plan period by expediting construction of field channels, land levelling/shaping, field drains and introduction of Warabandi. For this purpose, on-going Command Area Development projects need to be completed in the Plan period. For the modernisation of existing but old or inefficient irrigation systems, resources should be mobilised from the beneficiaries to the extent possible, with regard to the benefits already received or to be received after such modernisation is effected.
Water Logging and Salinity 3.14 In all major and medium irrigation projects, and specially where these are in water-scarce areas, highly water-intensive crops would be discouraged and agricultural output maximised per unit of water by ensuring equitable distribution of water to farmers with a view to stabilising agriculture. In existing irrigated areas where salinity and water-logging have resulted in good agricultural land becoming unusable, adequate drainage facilities would be provided on a priority basis and proper usage of surface and ground water encouraged, as also reclamation and revised cropping pattern for preventing recurrence of waterlogging and salinity. As precise statistical data are not yet available, States have been requested to carry out surveys for a correct assessment of irrigated lands that have fallen into disuse because of waterlogging and salinity. The matter will be followed up with the States.
3.15 In view of the longterm objective of realising the full potential by 2010 AD, it would be neccessary to increase the pace of creation of additional irrigation potential, not only during the Seventh Plan but also in the subsequent Plan periods, particularly in respect of major and medium irrigation projects. This would require massive investment in the irrigation sector. A national water perspective has been conceived and its details are being worked out for increasing the ultimate irrigation potential by taking recourse to inter-basin tranfers of water.
Drainage 3.16 Drainage improvement is an important part of irrigation projects. For lack of attention, the drainage problem has become particularly serious in heavy rainfall areas owing to inadequate outfall conditions, this results in low agricultural productivity. Special-attention would be paid in the Seventh Plan period to improve the drainage system in existing commands through suitable drainage schemes. In the case of new projects, it would be ensured that the project estimate itself provides for the necessary drainage arrangements. The need for sub-surface drainage should also be carefully examined and appropriate works taken up as a part of the onfarm development works.
3.17 Conjunctive use of surface and ground water in the command areas will enable maximisation of agricultural production and optimal use of available water. This will also help in reducing ill effects of water logging. Crop planning in the command areas should be developed on this basis so that greater emphasis is given for ground water exploitation through both public and private investment in the command area.
3.18 Where water availability is scarce and the nature of the terrain through which the canals pass is porous and considerable water is lost in seepage, lining of canal system either partially or wholly has been accepted as a necessary investment. Already in Punjab and Haryana and also in certain other parts of the country, lining of substantial stretches of the canal system has been taken up. Canal lining methods, however, have to ensure that the existing ground water exploitation is not materially affected. The importance of this approach has now been accepted by the States and every effort will be made to take up the lining programme on a priority basis.
3.19 Imbalances in the development of irrigation in different regions of the country are due to diversity in topography, rainfall characteristics, uneven spatial distribution of water resources, the priority accorded to irrigation in the region in the past and other factors, some States with better Organisation and infrastructural facilities like adequate power have harnessed more than 60 per cent of their available water resources while other States have lagged behind in this respect. Since the early years of the First Plan, a number of steps have been taken to correct the regional imbalances. The percentages of cultivable land irrigated in different States at the beginning of the Seventh Plan indicate that while States like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have progressed appreciably, other States like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Manipur and Assam have to go a long way in realising full potential. Apart from the expeditious and efficient harnessing of the locally available water resources, the formulation of the national
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perspective involving inter-basin transfer of water would greatly help in minimising the regional imbalances. It is gratifying to note that efforts are now being made by the States with low irrigation percentage to catch up with other parts of the country by taking up a large number of irrigation schemes.
3.20 Each State has to prepare an apropriate irrigation programme within the long-term perspective of irrigation development. There should be a time-bound programme for completion of projects; advance planning in making available financial resources, man-power, materials and equipments, and close monitoring of progress are required. Early completion of projects will help in eliminating time and cost over- runs of projects. The budgeting of financial resources will be realistic only if the project estimates are continuously updated by Special Cost Control Cells for each major and medium irrigation project. It is assumed that fully investigated schemes will enable correct budgeting and avoid changes in the scope of the project at the time of implementation. Delegation of powers and development of modalities for taking expeditious decisions during implementation of projects are called for. Delay in acquisition of land and in clearance of forest land has often been a constraint on timely imple- mentation of projects. It will be necessary to deploy a substantial number of officers at the start of every project to expedite land acquisition proceedings.