WRE History of Irrigation

Water Resource Engineering
Development of irrigation in
india
History of Irrigation in India
 Vedas, Ancient Indian writers and ancient Indian scriptures have references
of wells, canals, tanks and dams.
 In the south, perennial irrigation had begun with construction of the Grand
Anicut by the Cholas (King Karikalan)as early as first century to provide
irrigation from the Cauvery River.
 The central and southern India is studded with numerous irrigation tanks
which have been traced back to many centuries before the beginning of the
Christian era
 Indus Civilization flourished on the banks of rivers and the water was
harnessed for sustenance of life
 Irrigation technologies during the Indus Valley Civilization were in the form
of small and minor works like digging wells
Thehindu.com
Irrigation during Medieval India (6th
to 16th century)
 Rapid advances took place in the construction of canals.
 Water was blocked by constructing bunds across steams
 Ghiyasuddin Tughluq is credited to be the first ruler who
encouraged digging canals. Fruz Tughlug is considered to be the
greatest canal builder.
 Irrigation is said to be one of the major reasons for the growth and
expansion of the Vijayanagar Empire in southern India in the
fifteenth century.
 As agricultural income was the pillar of the economy, irrigation
systems were paid special attention during this period.
BUND FORMATION
 Babur, in his memoirs called ‘Baburnamah’ gave a vivid
description of prevalent modes of irrigation practices in
India at that time.
 The Gabar Bunds, presently in Sindh, Pakistan, captured
and stored annual runoff from surrounding mountains
and river Sindhu (Indus) to be made available to tracts
under cultivation.
WALLS OF GABAR BUNDS

Irrigation in British India
 Renovation, improvement
and extension of existing
works.
 New projects, like the
Upper Ganga Canal, the
Upper Bari Doab Canal
and Krishna and Godavari PERIYAR CANAL SYSTEM UPPER GANGA CANAL
Delta Systems.
 Major canal works like the
Sirhind, the Lower Ganga,
the Agra and the Mutha
Canals, and the Periyar
Dam and canals.
PERIYAR DAM GODAVARI DELTA SYSTEM

 During this period India
witnessed few major
famines of her entire life so
better irrigation system
became mandatory.
 Significant protective
works constructed during
the period were the Betwa
Canal (MP), the Nira Left BETWA CANAL GOKAK FALL
Bank Canal (Maharashtra),
the Gokak Canal
(Karnataka) and the
Rushikulya Canal (Odisha).
RUSHIKULYA RIVER
Irrigation development after Independence
 To achieve set targets of economic development, the

responsibility of irrigation development was given to the
Union Ministry of Water Resources
 It took initiatives from time to time on water resources
development and for technical assistance to the states on
irrigation, multipurpose projects, ground water exploration
and exploitation, drainage, flood control, water logging, sea
erosion problems, dam safety and hydraulic structures for
navigation and hydropower
 Also oversees the regulation and development of inter-State
rivers
Irrigation development programs undertaken
 Command Area Development & Water Management (CADWM):

To provide central assistance for development of infrastructure to
facilitate use of sprinkler / drip irrigation systems as an alternative to
construction of field channels. The assistance is limited to
construction of stilling tank, pump house and laying of conveyance
pipes up to farmer’s fields.
 Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Program (AIBP):
The AIBP was conceived in the year 1996 by the Government of
India in order to provide financial assistance to States to complete
various ongoing projects in the country so that envisaged irrigation
potential of the project could be created and thereby extend irrigation
to more areas
Future possibilities of Irrigation Development
 Technological Options (Drip Irrigation, sprinkler etc) - Micro-
irrigation methods need to beadopted wherever possible.
 Revival of Diverse and Community - Based Irrigation Systems
 Inter basin transfer of water (Interlinking of Rivers)
 Special measures needed to revitalize the tank irrigation
 Gap between potential created and utilized needs to be reduced
(Completion of Canal Networks)
 Use of Sewage Water for Irrigation
 Drainage Improvements
 Scope for Improving Crop Yields
 Options for Equitable and efficient water distribution need to be
evolved.
 Choosing appropriate cropping pattern for sustainable development
Irrigation types, capacity and actual
Total crop area (MHa) 159.6
Groundwater irrigation crop area (MHa) 39.43
Canal irrigation crop area (MHa) 22.48
Total crop area actually irrigated (MHa) 58.13
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrigation_in_India
Source wise development of
Irrigated Area in India (Mha)
Source: http://wrmin.nic.in
SOME OLDER METHODS OF IRRIGATION
References
www.slideshare.com
http://wrmin.nic.in
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrigation_in
_India
IrrigationEngineering and Hydraulic

Structures by Santosh Kumar Garg.
Thank You.

WRE History of Irrigation

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Water Resource Engineering

WALLS OF GABAR BUNDS

PERIYAR DAM GODAVARI DELTA SYSTEM

 To achieve set targets of economic development, the

 Command Area Development & Water Management (CADWM):

IrrigationEngineering and Hydraulic

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