INDIA’S IRRIGATION CHALLENGE:

IS PMKSY EQUAL TO IT?

Tushaar ShahSenior Fellow,

International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Field Office: Anand, Gujarat 388001, India

HIGHLIGHTS• Three phases in evolution of Indian

irrigation• How do our farmers irrigate today?• What are key constraints to irrigation

expansion?• What can be done to overcome these?• Example of Madhya Pradesh• Example of Gujarat• How should PMKSY be refocussed?

ERA OF ADAPTIVE IRRIGATION-UPTO 1830

• Community was the unit of irrigation management

Rainfall, soil-moisture, floods

Rainfall and Soil moisture

Flow irrigation from tanks, canals, rivers

Lift irrigation from wells and surface sources

% of water consumptively used in agriculture

% Contribution to aggregateFarm output and incomes

ERA OF CANAL CONSTRUCTION-1830-1970

• State emerged as the architect, builder, manager of irrigation

Canal and tankirrigation

Soil moisture management

Flow irrigation from tanks, canals, rivers

Lift irrigation from wells & surface sources

% water consumptively used in agriculture

% Contribution to aggregateFarm output and incomes

ERA OF ATOMISTIC PUMP IRRIGATION:1970-TODATE

Individual farmer as the irrigation manager

ScavengedGround and

Surfacewater

Soil moisture management

Flow irrigation

Pump irrigation from wells, tube wells, canals

% of water consumptively used in agriculture

% ContributionTo Farm output & incomes

www.iwmi.orgWater for a food-secure world

India inherited the world’s largest canal infrastructure in 1947; today India is the world’s groundwater champion!

% OF CULTIVATED AREA IRRIGATED

Little groundwater irrigation

Pre-

1970

1970-80

1980-90

After 1990

India’s GroundwaterJuggernaut is stillAccelerating!!!

India today has some 25 million irrigation wells.2/3rd of these were sunk after 1990..

Over 70% of irrigated areas are served by groundwater wells. Yet, India’s

Irrigation investments are focused on canal irrigation, neglecting groundwater.

2006-07

EACH DOT IN THIS MAP REPRESENTS 5000 IRRIGATION WELLS.

IRRIGATION IS LOW, WHERE GROUNDWATER IS NOT DEVELOPED OR MANAGED

India’s Energy Divide, 2006-07 Eastern India has

abundant groundwater but no energy to pump it

In western India, perverse power subsidies have

ruined aquifers .

India’s pockets of serious

groundwater depletion

54% of India’s Groundwater wells are decreasing

Scarce or depleted

groundwater

DOES PMKSY ADDRESS THESE PRIORITIES?

PMKSY Components

Ministry/Deptt.

Physical Target

(in lakh ha)

Indicative outlay

(in Rs. crores)    2015-

202015-

162015-

202015-

16AIBP MoWR,

RD&GR7.50 1.20 11060 1000

Har Khet Ko Pani 21.00 2.80 9050 1000Per Drop, More Crop

DAC 100.00 5.00 16300 1800

Watershed Development

DoLR 11.50 4.40 13590 1500

Total - - - 50000 5300• AIBP - Major and Medium Irrigation Projects• Har Khet Ko Pani - CAD, Minor Irrigation (Surface

and Ground Water) and RRR of Water Bodies

DURING THE PAST DECADE, GUJARAT AND MADHYA PRADESH HAVE MADE RAPID STRIDES IN IRRIGATION.

6080

100120140160180200220240

Figure 1 Index of Canal Irrigated area (2000-01=100)

Andhra Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Gujarat

Maharashtra India

Gujarat

Madhya Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

MaharashtraIndia

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

240

Figure 2 Index of Net Area Irrigated from all Sources (2000-01=100)

Andhra Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Gujarat

Maharashtra India

Madhya Pradesh

Gujarat

IndiaMaharashtra

Andhra Pradesh

Maharashtra & AP invested heavily in canal

construction with little increase in irrigation

Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh focused on

groundwater, farm power and improving canal

management

MP INCREASED IRRIGATED AREA FROM 6 LAKH HA TO 30 LAKH HA IN 5 YEARS

www.iwmi.orgWater for a food-secure world

Particulars (in ha) 2003-04 2010-11

1) Monsoon cropped area 1,10,92,327 1,25,12,769

1) Rabi cropped area 55,27,918 89,55,230

1) Summer cropped area 13,77,562 21,69,342

Total 1,79,97,807 2,36,37,737

GUJARAT GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED COMMUNITY BASED CHECKDAM MOVEMENT IN SAURASHTRA, KUTCH AND

NORTH GUJARAT WITH REMARKABLE RESULTS

www.iwmi.orgWater for a food-secure world

Figure 1 a Electricity Network Before Figure 1 b Electricity Network after

GUJARAT INVESTED RS 1250 CRORE IN FEEDER SEPARATION; BUT IT HELPED IMPROVE POWER QUALITY AND CONTROLLED

GROUNDWATER DEPLETION

GUJARAT’S AGRICULTURE HAS BEEN GROWING @ 9+%THIS GROWTH IS ENERGIZED BY GROUNDWATER IRRIGATION.YET, GUJARAT IS THE ONLY STATE IN WESTERN INDIA WHERE

GROUNDWATER LEVELS ARE IMPROVING..

SEVEN STRATEGIES TO ENSURE“HAR KHET KO PANI”

• Tighter management of canal systems to bring larger areas under command;

• Rationalize farm power subsidies in western states;• Improve the quality of farm power supply;• Accelerate pump electrification in Bihar, Orissa,

Assam• Decentralised Managed Aquifer Recharge programs;• Revitalize 600,000 irrigation tanks in peninsular

India; • Solarize the groundwater economy by promoting

solar energy as a ‘remunerative crop’.

SOLAR PUMPS OFFER A GROUND-BREAKING IRRIGATION OPPORTUNITY THAT PMKSY IGNORES

• Solar pumps can quickly provide affordable energy to farmers of eastern India and kick-start its green revolution.

• In western India, solar pumps with a buyback guarantee for surplus solar power can offer reliable day-time energy for irrigation, stable cash income and incentive for conserving power and water.

www.iwmi.orgWater for a food-secure world

IWMI-WLE SPaRC Pilot in Anand

www.iwmi.orgWater for a food-secure world

IWMI-WLE SPaRC Pilot in Anand

RamanBhai Parmar, Village Thamna, Anand

Phot

o: D

avid

Bra

zier/

IWM

IPh

oto

:Tom

van

Cak

enbe

rghe

/IW

MI

Phot

o : D

avid

Bra

zier/

IWM

IPh

oto:

Dav

id B

razie

r/IW

MI

THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.