Irrigation

Irrigation is defined as the artificial application of water to land for agricultural purposes. Irrigation is required when there is a deficiency in rainfall, non-uniform rainfall and augmentation of crop yields. It is also required in cash crops cultivation, orchards and gardens. Irrigation increases the food output, prevents damage through drought and floods and lowers production risks. Irrigation also increases the employment, value of land property, ground water storage etc. In a direct irrigation project, water is directly diverted from the river into the canal. Water is stored in a reservoir with the construction of a dam across the river in an indirect irrigation project. In the initial days, single purpose irrigation projects were announced and implemented by the various governments which were meant for a particular purpose. Now multipurpose irrigation projects are running which serves purposes like irrigation, navigation, power generation, flood control, domestic water supply, industrial water supply and tourism. Based on the financial return, irrigation projects are classified into three. They are productive, unproductive and protective. Irrigation potential is the aggregate area that can be irrigated in a year by the amount of water available at the field. India’s irrigation potential was only 19.5 M ha in 1947 which now crossed 120 M ha. The various systems of irrigation are gravity irrigation, lift irrigation, infiltrating irrigation, sewage irrigation and supplemental irrigation.