What are Major, Medium and Minor Irrigation Schemes?

Various irrigation schemes in India were classified by the erstwhile planning commission into three parts viz. Minor, Medium and Major Irrigation schemes.

• Major irrigation Scheme: Major irrigation schemes are those schemes which have a Culturable Command Areas of More than 10,000 hectares.
• Medium irrigation Schemes: The Medium Irrigation Schemes have a CCA of 2,000-10,000 hectares.
• Minor Schemes: Those with Culturable command areas up to 2000 hectares.

Cultural command area is the basis for the design of water course and basis for the design of an irrigation project. It is the proportion of the Gross Command Area which is Culturable and cultivable.