Irrigation Potential of India

Please read this article for updated information on Irrigation Potential of India. 

In all the five year plans considerable importance has been given to the creation of additional irrigation potential in the country. When five year planning started in our country, the irrigation potential was 23 million hectares which included 10 million hectares from major and medium irrigation works and 13 million hectares from the minor irrigation works.

The ultimate irrigation potential for the country has been assessed to be about 139.9 million hectare. As per the available information, about 105.8 Mha of irrigation potential has been created so far (January 22, 2010, PIB).

Total area under irrigation varies from year to year. As per the Land Use Statistics of Ministry of Agriculture, gross irrigated area and net irrigated area during 2006-07 have been estimated to be 85.8 Mha and 60.9 Mha respectively.

Total irrigation potential created during 2005-09 is 6.71 Mha. The Maximum Irrigation Potential was created for Uttar Pradesh. The following Table makes it clear.