page_title: Irrigation in India
hierarchical_section_title: Irrigation in India
caption_attribution_description: English: Sardar sarovar canal with flow
context_page_description: Irrigation in India includes a network of major and minor canals from Indian rivers, groundwater well based systems, tanks, and other rainwater harvesting projects for agricultural activities. Of these groundwater system is the largest. In 2013-14, only about 36.7% of total agricultural land in India was reliably irrigated, and remaining 2/3rd cultivated land in India is dependent on monsoons. 65% of the irrigation in India is from groundwater.Currently about 51% of the agricultural area cultivating food grains is covered by irrigation. The rest of the area is dependent on rainfall.
  Indian govt launched a demand side water management plan costing INR6000 crore or USD854 million across 8,350 water stressed villages of 78 districts in 7 states - Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh - over five years from 2021-2022 to 2026-27, with the view to harvest rainwater, enhance water table, water recharge rate with village panchayat level water management plans.
context_section_description: Irrigation  in India includes a network of major and minor canals from Indian rivers, groundwater well based systems, tanks, and other rainwater harvesting projects for agricultural activities. Of these groundwater system is the largest. In 2013-14, only about 36.7% of total agricultural land in India was reliably irrigated, and remaining 2/3rd cultivated land in India is dependent on monsoons. 65% of the irrigation in India is from groundwater.Currently about 51% of the agricultural area cultivating food grains is covered by irrigation . The rest of the area is dependent on rainfall. 
  Indian govt launched a demand side water management plan costing INR6000 crore or USD854 million across 8,350 water stressed villages of 78 districts in 7 states - Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh - over five years from 2021-2022 to 2026-27, with the view to harvest rainwater, enhance water table, water recharge rate with village panchayat level water management plans. Most of the canal irrigation is in the canal network of Ganges-Yamuna basin mainly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh and somewhat in Rajasthan and Bihar, while small local canal networks also exist in the south in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala, etc. The largest canal in India is Indira Gandhi Canal, which is about 650 km long. India has an ambitious river linking national project to enhance the coverage of canal irrigated area, reduce floods and water shortage.
  Irrigation in India helps improve food security, reduce dependence on monsoons, improve agricultural productivity and create rural job opportunities. Dams used for irrigation projects help produce electricity and transport facilities, as well as provide drinking water supplies to a growing population, control floods and prevent droughts.
caption: An irrigation canal in Gujarat. Irrigation contributes significantly to the agriculture in India.
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