“Irrigation potential under-utilised”

A good 15 per cent of the irrigation potential in the country remains
unutilised primarily because of lack of proper operation and
maintenance and incomplete distribution system.This is the finding by
the Indian Institutes of Management, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and
Lucknow, which together inspected 45 major and medium irrigation
projects to suggest appropriate measures for optimally utilising the
irrigation facilities.The IIMs looked into this matter of serious
concern as the utilisation of irrigation potential was limited to 87.2
million hectares against the created irrigation potential of 102.7
million hectares.The five major factors identified for the gap between
the created irrigation potential and its actual utilisation were —
lack of proper operation and maintenance, incomplete distribution
system, non-completion of command area development, changes from the
initially designed cropping pattern and diversion of irrigable land
for other purposes.The report expressed concern over the lack of
proper provision in the budget for the operation and maintenance of
the irrigation system and called for adequate budgetary
support.Non-completion of distributaries and minors was another cause
for non-utilisation of available water resources for irrigation
purposes as was the non-completion of field channels and on-farm
development.

The Hindu, July 19