"Despite of heavy public expenditure on canals, our governments have not been able to reduce the groundwater depletion."Critically examine the issue.

Hint: The key reason is widening gap between irrigation potential created and actually utilized. The gap is increasing because of several reasons such as

1. slow pace of CAD works
2. depletion of professional staff in state irrigation agencies
3. paucity of non plan funds available with irrigation departments resulting in decline in operation and maintenance of MMI projects and growing default maintenance.

Closing the IPC‐IPU gap is also a “low hanging fruit” which can be picked by investing in CAD works, ARM projects and irrigation management reforms.