International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) ISSN: 2277-3878, Volume-8 Issue-6, March 2020 Role of Irrigation in Development: The Rajasthan Experience Priyanka Payal, Poonam Abstarct: Rajasthan is the largest state of India in terms of area and it covers about 10.4% of the total area of India but only geographical conditions are favorable and the water level is 1.04% of the water resources, hence there is lack of water high. Alwar, Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, resources for 70% of the state's agricultural economy. The uncertainty of the monsoon creates problems of employment and Bhilwara, Udaipur, Ajmer and Jaipur districts of the state irregularity along with hindering the development of agriculture. have wells for irrigation. Where the area irrigated by wells Such problems have revealed an important requirement of was only six lakh hectares in 1951-52, there was 30.15 lakh irrigation in the state. The paper will explain about the main hectares in 2005-06. sources, needs and importance of irrigation in Rajasthan. The Canals: Canals are the second major source of irrigation in study also focuses on the area irrigated by irrigation resources in Rajasthan, about 24 to 27 lakh hectare area of the state is Rajasthan. Main irrigation projects of Rajasthan like interstate multipurpose river valley projects of Rajasthan, major irrigation irrigated through canals which are about 30% of the total projects of Rajasthan, medium projects of Rajasthan, minor irrigated area. Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Kota and irrigation projects of Rajasthan are explained properly with facts Bundi districts are the prominent areas irrigated by canals. and figures in the study. The paper also highlights the Where there was only 2.24 lakh hectares irrigated by canals development of irrigation during plans and its progress in gross in Rajasthan in 1951-52, it has increased to 30.51 hectare in irrigated area in Rajasthan. Allocation of expenses of public 2005-06, which is almost 10 times more. Indra Gandhi canal sector irrigation and flood control under the five-year plans in Rajasthan were part of the study. In the last paper ended irrigation facility in western desert districts to convert dry explaining about the barriers to irrigation development, districts into lush field is a successful attempt. suggestions and conclusion. Financial difficulty, rising cost of Tubewells: Tubewells are becoming an important means of irrigation projects, problem of full utilization of irrigation irrigation in Rajasthan, in the western districts of the state potential, reservoir problems, inter-State disputes, problem of where the average rainfall is very low and the underground environmental protection, corruption, red tape and political water level is low at depths from 30 meters to 150 meters partisanship, unnecessary delay are the various problems faced by the farmers. To overcome these problem suggestions given like and electricity facility is available. In districts like Jaipur, government should focus on mobilizing more resources, seek Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Nagaur, irrigation is provided from foreign cooperation, control over corruption, careful use of water tubewells. Where the irrigated area from tubewells in 1950- and proper drainage system, disputes should be settled quickly 51 was about 82-84 thousand hectares, the area was and without political pressure, timely completion of projects, etc. estimated to be 22.8 hectares in 2005-06, which is about Keywords: Agricultural, Economy, Irrigation Resources, 29.14 percent of the total area. Irrigation, Projects. In the southern and southeastern parts of Rajasthan, where the surface is rugged in the hilly areas, and there is hard I. INTRODUCTION rocky terrain in which water cannot be stopped, the rain water is filled in the ponds and is used for irrigation. There Different irrigation sources have been developed in different are about 450 such reservoirs in the state. The major areas of parts of the state due to the variation of land structure, irrigation from ponds in Rajasthan are Bhilwara, Udaipur, surface and water availability in Rajasthan. The total Chittorgarh, Bundi and Pali districts. Apart from this, irrigated area in the state is about 78 to 85 lakh hectares, and Banswara, Dungarpur, Ajmer, Bara, Kota, Tonk, Sawai wells are the main means of irrigation in the state. Canal Madhopur and Jaipur districts are also irrigated with ponds. irrigation in about 30 to 35 lakh hectare of land is the second The role of ponds in the total irrigated area in Rajasthan is major means of irrigation. The third major means of continuously falling because of canals and the tubewells. In irrigation is tube wells which irrigate about 23 to 25 lakh 1950-51, the total irrigated area from the ponds was about hectare area of the state whereas the ponds irrigate an area 82 thousand hectares, which in 2005-06 was only 80.8 of 82 to 85 lakh hectare. Thus, the major means of irrigation hectares. differ in different districts of the state. A brief description Other Sources: Other important sources of irrigation in of the important irrigation mediums is as follows. Rajasthan include water collected in the river drains, Wells: The major means of irrigation in Rajasthan are wells irrigation held by drawing water. In Rajasthan from 1950- and wells irrigate about 30 to 35 lakh hectares of land in the 51, about 17000 hectare area was irrigated by other sources. state, which is about 38.6% of the accumulated area of the There, irrigated area from other sources is estimated to state. Irrigation from wells is mainly in the areas where increase to 89.82 thousand hectare during 2005-06 which is Revised Manuscript Received on February 01, 2020. the total irrigated area. The area is about 1.15%, thus the Priyanka Payal, Assistant Professor, Swami Keshvanand Institute of importance of this source is also very less in terms of Technology, Management and Gramothan, Jaipur (SKIT College), Ram irrigation. Nagariya Rd, Shivam Nagar, Jagatpura, Jaipur, Rajasthan Poonam, Assistant Professor, Department of BADM, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering Retrieval Number: F7938038620/2020©BEIESP & Sciences Publication DOI:10.35940/ijrte.F7938.038620 2430 Role of Irrigation in Development: The Rajasthan Experience Objective of the Study: III. AREA IRRIGATED BY IRRIGATION RESOURCES IN RAJASTHAN To study the need and importance of irrigation in The following table shows the progress of irrigated area by Rajasthan. major means of irrigation in Rajasthan. To study the main irrigation projects of Rajasthan. Gross Area irrigated by major means of irrigation in To study the expenses of public sector irrigation and Rajasthan (in 000’ hectare) flood control under the five-year plans in Rajasthan. To explore the barriers to irrigation development in S.No Particulars 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Rajasthan. 1. Wells and 5363 5382 5338 Tube wells II. NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF IRRIGATION IN RAJASTHAN 2. Canals 2371 2515 2461 Agricultural Economy: The economy of Rajasthan is an 3. Tanks 137 104 34 agrarian economy. 70% of the population of Rajasthan is 4. Other 87 87 77 dependent on agriculture and animal husbandry for income Sources and employment, so it is difficult to imagine the livelihood of agriculture based population in the absence of irrigation. Total 7958 8088 7910 Irrigated Dependence on Monsoon Rainfall: The economy of Area Rajasthan is also dependent on monsoon rains like India, and monsoon rains remain only from June to October, so Source: Economic Review 2010-11 irrigation becomes necessary for crops in seasons other than It is clear from the above table that the area irrigated by rainy season. wells and tube wells in Rajasthan is 53.63 lakh hectares, Uncertainty, Inadequacy and Irregularity of Monsoon: which is about 67.39% of the gross irrigated area 79.58 lakh In Rajasthan, irrigation becomes necessary to protect hectares. The area irrigated by canals is 23.71 lakh hectares agricultural crops from drying out in the absence, which is about 29.79% of the total irrigated area. uncertainty and irregularity of monsoon. The area irrigated by lakes is stable at about 83 thousand Special Crops Require More Water: Some crops like hectares and is only 1.06% of the total irrigated area. Thus, paddy, sugarcane, juice, greens vegetables require more the area irrigated from other sources has increased from 17 water. thousand hectare in 1950-51 to about 90 thousand hectare Multi Cropping: The success of the multi cropping and its share in total irrigated area is 1.15 percent. program is also very much dependent on irrigation because it is not possible to produce more in the absence of irrigation. IV. MAIN IRRIGATION PROJECTS OF RAJASTHAN Relieve Famine and Drought: Irrigation facilities provide A. Interstate Multipurpose River Valley Projects of the state with income and employment opportunities in Rajasthan times of drought by providing relief to the state. These projects have been done with the mutual cooperation Intensive Farming and Higher Productivity: Irrigation of many states with the motivation to fulfil many objectives paves the way for intensive agriculture and with the timely together. These projects are fulfilling many objectives like irrigation facilities, it is possible to increase and improve power generation, irrigation, fisheries, tourism, flood agricultural productivity. control, pasture and plantation etc. Increase the Possibility of Expansion in Agriculture: Bhakra-Nangal Dam: This joint multipurpose project of About 61% of the land area of Rajasthan is spread in 12 Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan state is the largest project in districts in the form of desert land. In the absence of India. For this, there are 222 meter high dam and two big irrigation, it is possible to expand the agricultural area in power houses at Nangal and 25.5 meter high dam and 2 Rajasthan by converting it into stagnant fields by irrigation, power houses near Bhakra village in Hoshiarpur district on so the Indira Gandhi Canal Narmada Canal can expand the Sutlej river.