IRRIGATION AND FLOOD CONTROL
IRRIGATION THE availability of water in adequate quantities and at the right time is one of the basic determinants of agricultural productivity. Climatic conditions in India are favourable to vegetative growth practically throughout the year. It is also well established that, given assured water supply and good seeds, high crop yields can be achieved by the application of fertilisers, manure and improved methods of farming. In fact, with certain exceptions, average yields are usually low and liable to large fluctuations from year to year, and the double-cropped area is hardly 15 per cent of the net sown area. One of the major impediments to the full exploitation of the possibilities of intensive agriculture is the lack of assured and dependable water supply throughout the year. About four fifths of the country's cropped area depends exclusively on rainfall, most of it concentrated in a few months of the year. Even where the overall annual precipitation is high, the available moisture in the winter and summer months is not adequate to support multiple cropping. The rainfall in a large part of the cropped area is so low and uncertain in its distribution that it does not permit intensive cultivation even during the main crop season. The expansion of irrigation facilities in order to ensure timely and adequate water supply has thus, ever since the inception of planning, been an extremely important means of bringing about agricultural development.
11.2. The area under irrigation has increased substantially during the past 18 years. Major, medium and minor irrigation projects have all contributed to this result. The droughts of 1965-66 and 1966-67 further heightened the awareness of the need for faster development of irrigation facilities. Moreover, the possibilities offered by the new seed varieties both for increasing yields of cereal crops and for intensifying cultivation, are contingent on water resources. This has served to emphasise the efficient use of water as a problem demanding as much attention as expansion of irrigation. As an important aspect of optimal utilisation, it will be necessary to plan for the integrated use of both surface and ground water.
11.3. Surface Water.-The average 'annual surface water resources of the country have been placed at a total of about 168 million hectare metres *1. Out of this, only about 56 million hectare metres can be used for irrigation on account of physiographical conditions. Up to 1951, 9.5 million hectare metres or about one-sixth of the usable flow had been utilised. By the end of the Third Plan, the volume of utilisation increased to 18.5 million hectare metres or nearly one-third of the total availability. It is estimated that during 1966-69, the utilisation increased by another 2 million hectare metres. It is proposed, during the Fourth Plan, to bring about an additional utilisation of 5 million hectare metres under major, medium and minor schemes, bringing the total utilisation to 25.5 million hectare metres or 46 per cent of the usable flow.
11.4. The ultimate area that can be irrigated from major, medium and minor schemes (excluding ground water) by using 56 million hectare meters of water has been assessed at 60 million hectares *2. Further investigation in different States might indeed reveal that this figure is somewhat on the low side. For the present, however, the country's irrigation potential may be placed at 45 million hectares under major and medium irrigation and 15 million hectares under minor irrigation. At the beginning of the First Plan, the irrigation from major and medium works was 9.7 million hectares and from minor works 6.4 million hectares. The potential created at the beginning of the Third Plan was 14.4 million hectares from major and medium schemes and 6.6 million hectares from minor schemes. The potential expected to be created by 1968-69 from major and medium scheme is 18.5 million hectares, and from minor schemes 8.1 million hectares. The balance of potential that can be created is 26 million hectares through major and medium schemes and about 7 million hectares through minor schemes.
11.5. Ground Water.-It is estimated that about 22 million hectare metres of ground water can be exploited for irrigation purposes to serve 22 million hectares. At the beginning of the First Plan 6.5 million hectares had been developed. This increased to 8.2 million hectares at the beginning of the Third Plan and is expected to reach 10.9 million hectares by 1968-69 leaving a balance of about 11 million hectares to be covered.
11.6. Out of the total potentially arable area of 175 million hectares *3, 138 million hectares *3 are under cultivation. The cropped area is 158 million hectares *3. It is estimated that 82 million hectares can ultimately be irrigated from both surface and ground water sources. In order to have assured irrigation, it is important to create the balance of potential over a period of about 15 years for ground water and about 20 years for surface water.
1. "Appraisal of water Resources : Analysis and Utilisation of Data" by Dr. A.N. Khosla, 1949.
2. All irrigation potential and utilisation figures mentioned in this Chapter refer to gross areas i.e., including area sown more than once.
3, Indian Agriculture in Brief, 1967-total area and classification of area (1964-65) table 2. 10,
131
NOTE : (i) In the case of minor,irrigation has been assumed to be the same as potential, as actual utilisation figures are not available.
(ii) (a) Minor irrigation comprises ground water schemes and those surface water schemes which are estimated to cost up to Rs.15 lakhs each.
(b) Medium schemes are those estimated to cost above Rs. 15 lakhs and up to Rs.5 crores; major schemes are those
(c) Please see para 11.19 for revised classification of irrigation schemes.
11.7. Major and Medium Schemes.-The targets and achievements with regard to total irrigation potential under major and medium schemes and the utilisation of the potential for 1960-69 are :
TABLE 2 Potential and Utilisation under Major and Medium Irrigation Schemes
(million hectares)
year potential utilisation
target achievement target achievement
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
1960-61 16.6 14.4 15.1 13.1
1968-69 19.0 18.5 17.5 16.9
The percentage of achievement over the targets has considerably improved.
11.8. Minor Schemes.-Minor irrigation schemes include all ground water development projects as well as surface water projects. Most deep tubewell schemes are community-based; open wells and shallow tubewells, however, are usually constructed and owned by individuals. In either case, ground water provides the farmer with just the type of 'instant' and controlled irrigation which the new high-yielding varieties of seed demand. This fact, coupled with the increasing extension of electricity to rural areas, explains the expansion which has taken place in recent years in the development of ground water resources. The expansion has taken place not only in areas which ate without any other source of irrigation but also in alluvial tracts already commanded by existing, canal systems; ground water exists in comparatively copious quantities in such areas and enables the farmer to grow more than one crop on an assured basis. The remarkable development of ground water resources during recent years was stimulated by the droughts of 1965-66 and 1966-67 which also happened to coincide with the development of high-yielding varieties which perform. best under conditions of controlled and timely irrigation. The increased availability of modern equipment for drilling and blasting and of pumpsets assisted in this process. The progress would not have been possible without commensurate financial resources. The expansion, reorganisation and strengthening of institutional sources of finances was, therefore, one of the most important developments which took place during this period. As against Rs. 112 crores from institutions such as the Agricultural Refinance Corpo- ration, Land Development Banks, Central Co-operative Banks and Agro- Indusitries Corporations during the whole of the Third Plan period, the amount which was made available by these institutions during the three years 1966-1969 amounted to Rs. 230 crores. The net result of all these developments is reflected in the addition of 175,000 private tubewells during the period 1966-69 when the total number of such tubewells at the end of the Third Five Year Plan was only 80,000. Similarly, as against 2.2 lakh percolation wells which were improved by boring or deepening during the Third Plan, as many as 4.0 lakh wells were renovated during 1966-69.
11.9. An important factor in computing the increase of area under minor irrigation is depreciation on existing works, The net increase in irrigated area is the area of new irrigation less the depreciation1 on-existing works. Schemes for the stabilisation of irrigation cover areas where irrigation was previously available but is now made more certain through supplemental measures. Stabilisation also includes protection from flooding by means of small drainage and embankment schemes costing less than Rs. one lakh each. The progress for 1966-69 is :
1 Depreciation takes into account the irrigated are going out of use as a result of the useful life of the existing works coming to an end.
132 FOURTH FIVE YEAR PLAN
TABLE 3 : Irrigated Area under Minor Irrigation
(million hectares)
year new deprecia- net benefits through
irriga- tion irriga- stabilisation
tion on ted area
added existing (cumulative) im- drainage
works prove- and emback-
ment of ment benefit
irriga-
tion supply
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
1950-51 -- -- 12.9 -- --
1951-52 to
1960-61. 4.0 2.1 14.8 1.3 2.2
1961-62 to
1968-69 6.1 1.9 19.0 2.0 1.0
(estimated)
11.10. The food shortage during 1965 and 1966 led to a reorientation of the rural electrification programme. From the general objective of electrifying villages, the focus was shifted to the energisation of irrigation pumpsets and tubewells. Crash programmes were implemented with earmarked Central assistances. The actual investment during the Third Plan was Rs. 153 crores as against a Plan provision of Rs. 105 crores. During the three years 1966-69, the investment was about Rs. 150 crores. The achievements for 1960-69 are as follows in relation to the commencement and end of the period :
TABLE 4 : Energised Pump-sets.
year achievement
(thou. nos.)
(1) (2)
1960-61 192
1968-69 (estimated) 1087.6
Objectives 11.11. Some of the objectives of the Fourth Plan, specially those connected with maximisation of agricultural, production, have already been mentioned. These include the integrated use and efficient management of , water resources, both surface and ground; extension of irrigation, major, medium and minor; and in regard to new projects, the choice wherever practicable-subject to the constraint of resources in the States sector of those areas which are relatively deficient in assured rainfall as well as irrigation. Many existing projects are designed for single-crop irrigation and protection against failure of rain rather than for ensuring maximum agricultural production. The recent shift of emphasis towards optimal production from irrigated tracts will be dept in mind not only in the location and design of future works but in important details like the provision of field channels and drainage.Due attention will be given to other connected aspects of agricultural development in the command area of the projects such as land shaping, requirements of good seeds, fertilisers credits, roads and marketing facilities, at the time of project formulation itself. Existing canals and tubewells, wherever necessary, will be remodelled or supplemented by construction of subsidiary irrigation works. Attention will be paid to the mainte- nance of existing works.
11.12. Programmes of minor irrigation will be dovetailed with rural electrification schemes for energising clusters of wells or tube-wells. The focus of rural electrification will be the pumpset that is to be energised rather than the village which is to be electrified. Among the new trends in the minor irrigation programme are the reduction of subsidies, stress on State or community works for helping the small farmer, larger provision of institutional finance for private works, and the building up of organisations in the States and at the Centre to survey and develop ground water schemes. There will be emphasis on proper maintenance of pumping machinery and the irrigation tanks.
11.13. On an average, it took about five to six years for effective utilisation of the potential created by major and even medium irrigation works. Better prices have given an incentive to the cultivator to reduce the delay in bringing his land under irrigated farming. Programmes of land-shaping, construction of field channels and diversified services for the supply of seed, fertiliser and credit have helped further to reduce the gap between creation and utilisation to an average of three to four years. Still further reduction has to be aimed at. Some of the practices mentioned above are being brought together in ayacut (area) development schemes. Ayacut (area) development schemes in the Nagarjunasagar and Kosi project areas have made noteworthy progress.
11.14. Irrigation is a State subject. Almost all the outlays have to be accommodated within the State Plan ceilings. In order to provide some weightage for major continuing works of irrigation and power, the Committee of the National Development Council had decided that 10 per cent of the aggregate amount of Central assistance should be reserved for allocation towards specified projects of different States. In the State Plan outlays, priority has been given to providing the maximum possible allocations considered essential for continuing the schemes on which appreciable progress has already been made. In respect of inter-State systems, such as Rajasthan Canal and Pong Dam project, progress in one State should correspond to that in another and should be maintained at the maximum pace feasible. This aspect has also been dept in view. There is emphasis in the Plan on the need for detailed investigations before formulation of new projects. The absence of adequate investigations has been a major cause of delays at different stages as well as increase in the estimates of cost. Provision has been made for adequate investigations of and advance action on new schemes for the Fifth Plan. It is necessary that the designing and construction of projects should take into account the latest findings of research and development of technology. Necessary provision has been made for research in the Plan.
133 IRRIGATION AND FLOOD CONTROL
11.15. Proposals for Major and Medium Schemes.-The spillover from continuing schemes and outlays for them are shown below:
TABLE 5: Major and Medium Schemes
(Rs. crores)
Sl. scheme estimat- expen- spill- alloca-
no. ed cost *1 diture over tion for
end of fourth
1968-69 1 plan
(0) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
1 major schemes, each
estimated to cost
more than Rs. 20
crores on which ap-
preciable progress
has been made 1605 890 715 484
2 major projects cost-
ing between Rs. 5
crores to Rs, 20
crores on which ap-
preciable progress
has been made 280 176 104 98
3 other major projects
on which appreci-
able progress has
not been made so
far 350 12 338 86
4 medium schemes 225 122 103 103
5 total 2460 1200 1260 771
1* As indicated by the states up to 1-3-1970.
Provision has been made in the Fourth Plan for all the major schemes on which appreciable progress has been made and for all the medium schemes. An outlay of Rs. 685 crores has been provided for this purpose. The spillover from these schemes into the Fifth Plan will be of the order of Rs. 237 crores. All the medium schemes will be completed in the Fourth Plan period. The major schemes on which substantial expenditure has already been incurred, will in many instances be completed or otherwise come to a stage when benefits will start accuring. The other major schemes with an outlay of Rs. 86 crores will reach various stages of construction and partial benefits will start accruing from some of them in the first year of the Fifth Plan. It is proposed to start new schemes, estimated to cost about Rs. 750 crores, mostly in the latter part of the Fourth Plan. An outlay of Rs. 140 crores is provided for them in the Fourth Plan. More than one-third of this will be for medium schemes and the rest for major schemes. The medium schemes would be located mostly in scarcity and drought affected areas. Supplemental irrigation schemes will be encouraged, wherever the existing intensity of irrigation is low or the water allowance and the frequency of watering are inadequate for the implementation of modern agricultural practices. the total outlay on irrigation is :