Irrigation

Featured Articles
August 10, 2022
Taming water - Irrigation and drought protection in colonial India and the present
The irrigation at all costs mindset and narrow policies for drought protection during the colonial rule ignored rainfed agriculture and local practices that sustained agriculture in the Bombay Deccan. This continues even today.
Recurrent droughts and the struggle for survival (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons):
August 9, 2022
MGNREGS becoming the quintessential scheme for tribal agriculture
Ensuring irrigation through farm ponds in tribal Chhattisgarh
Many tribal farmers opted for individual farm ponds under MGNREGA ensuring protective irrigation. (Image: Meenakshi Singh)
April 8, 2022
Water for all, still a dream?
Lack of governance and six toothless irrigation acts have done very little to change the water situation on the ground in Maharashtra, argues water expert Pradeep Purandare.
Peanut irrigation in India (Image Source: Seratobikiba via Wikimedia Commons)
March 11, 2022
Making every drop count: Micro-irrigation for tribal farmers of Gujarat
Subsidies enable tribal farmers to adopt micro-irrigation systems providing them assured irrigation
A key mitigation strategy to deal with water scarcity due to climate change is on-farm management of water using techniques like micro-irrigation (Image: India Water Portal Flickr)
September 17, 2021
Villagers’ shramdaan revives canal, enhances area under cultivation
Benefits of well-managed commons on livelihoods
Collective efforts revived the canal structure of Bichhiya dam bringing water to the village (Image: Foundation for Ecological Security)
August 29, 2021
Diversion-based irrigation systems
Experience of Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) in revitalizing the traditional phad irrigation system in hilly tribal villages of Western Madhya Pradesh
Community members contribute voluntary labour required for laying the pipeline network and tank construction (Image: Anjali Aggarwal)
10% of Odisha coast prone to erosion
News this week: 10% Odisha coast highly prone to erosion, reveals study; Unseasonal rain destroys agriculture in Andhra; Centre plans to conduct socio-economic survey of forest villages.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 12 May, 2014 08:38 AM

10% of Odisha coast prone to erosion: Study
Coastal erosion (Source: GFGD)
Tribals of Tawa reservoir left leader-less
Sunil Bhai, who fought for the rights of the tribals and other displaced people of the Tawa reservoir in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, is no more but the initiative he kick started remains.
Amita Bhaduri
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 07 May, 2014 11:19 AM

Tawa reservoir in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, irrigates several thousand hectares of land. It is here that Sunil Gupta, popularly known as Sunil Bhai, rose to prominence in 1995 when he led the struggle of the tribals displaced by the reservoir.
Sunil Bhai; Source: Samarendra
NGT prohibits commercial extraction of groundwater in Maharashtra
Policy matters this week: NGT restricts extraction of groundwater in Maharashtra; Centre OKs Polavaram Project Authority appointment; Delhi govt holds authorities accountable prior to the monsoon.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 05 May, 2014 10:33 AM

NGT prohibits groundwater extraction in Maharashtra's 12 districts
Groundwater extraction (Source: Karuna Society)
Punjab wades in troubled waters
During the Green Revolution, Punjab became the biggest contributor to India's food basket but at a cost-groundwater decline. Can its farmers figure out a way to stem this and boost productivity?
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 03 May, 2014 12:23 AM

Many great civilisations have thrived near rivers with people moving in search of water across swathes of lands. The same holds true for present day Punjab, especially its farmers.
Groundwater is falling by 1 metre every year
Below normal' rainfall for India this monsoon: IMD
News this week: IMD predicts a below average monsoon this year; Himachal villagers reject govt's Assessment Report on Sutlej basin; Six years post-construction, Narmada canals breach every ten steps.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 28 Apr, 2014 10:18 PM

'Below normal' rainfall for India this monsoon: IMD
Monsoon in India (Source: journeys@remember)
Goa-Karnataka dispute over Kalasa-Banduri project resolved
Policy matters this week: Tribunal resolves Goa-Karnataka dispute over water project; TN protests Karnataka's water scheme in Cauvery basin; Resolve Delhi-Haryana water dispute: HC to Centre.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 22 Apr, 2014 11:07 PM

Tribunal's order over Kalasa-Banduri Project brings respite to Goa and Karnataka
Mahadayi River in Goa (Source: Wikipedia)
Water woes of a different kind
Southwest Punjab negotiates deep waters as excess canal irrigation turns crop fields into fish farms.
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 19 Apr, 2014 01:03 AM

'Rabba Rabba Meeh Barsa, Saadi Kothi Daane Paa' (Make it rain God, so our homes remain filled with grains)”, is a popular song taught to children in Punjab. Not all of Punjab. In Southwest Punjab, farmers are praying for the monsoon to fail! 
Waterlogged fields in Udeekaran village
Gujarat among the most water-starved states in India:UN
News this week: Groundwater depletion makes Gujarat a water-starved state, says UN; Surat units all set to use recycled water; SANDRP urges Maharashtra CM to withdraw irrigation projects.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 15 Apr, 2014 09:10 PM

Gujarat among the most water-starved states in India: UN
Water scarcity in Gujarat (Source: WebGovernments)
IPCC alarms India of a severe water shortage
News this week: IPCC releases its Fifth Assessment Report on climate change; Hydropower plants in Himachal find it tough to sell power; No toilet facilities in 20% of Goa households.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 06 Apr, 2014 06:23 PM

IPCC releases its climate change report, alarms India of severe water shortage
Himalayan lake in Sikkim (Source: Wikimedia)
Ancient engineering marvels of Tamil Nadu
Eris, a system of cascading tanks, were once completely managed by local communities. With centralisation came disuse and lack of maintenance but an organisation is working to revive them.
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 05 Apr, 2014 02:06 PM

South India has a rich tradition of tanks with the three southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh contributing to close to 92% of the total irrigation by tanks in the 1970s. Two decades later, this number dwindled to close to 53%. A decade after that, in 2001, the total contribution of tank irrigation in all of India was estimated to be just around 5.18%.
Small tank near Thalambedu in Kanchipuram
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