Irrigation in Bihar
■ In Bihar, the water area constitutes about 3.6% of the total geographical area. On average, the state receives annual rainfall amounting to 1000 mms, the bulk of which comes from the south-west monsoon.
During 2017-18, Bihar received an annual rainfall of 994.4 mms, out of which 84.9% was largely due to the south-west monsoon. This is not adequate to water the entire farming activities in the state. Therefore, a well-planned irrigation system is needed to assist in stabilizing production, improving yield and cropping intensities.
■ Gross Irrigated Area (GIA):
• Tubewells are the largest source of irrigation in Bihar, contributing to about 63.1% of the total gross irrigated area in the state.
• The gross irrigated area under tanks increased from 0.74 lakh hectares in 2011-12 to about 1.05 lakh hectares in 2017-18, registering an annual growth rate of 7.25%.
• During 2017-18, the share of the gross irrigated area as a percentage of the gross cropped area stood at 71.9%.
■ Government spending
Since agriculture is a state subject under the Indian constitution, the responsibility of spending on irrigation and water conservation lies with the State Governments.
The total expenditure for irrigation development increased from ₹ 854.17 crore in 2013-14 to ₹ 1328.43 crores in 2018-19, recording an annual growth rate of 11.4%. The share of capital expenditure stood at 90.9% of the total expenditure i.e about ₹ 1207.5 crores in 2018-19.
The increasing trend in capital expenditure in irrigation (especially over the last two years) signifies the high priority that the State Government has laid on developing irrigation infrastructure.
■ Irrigation potential
The irrigation schemes in Bihar can be broadly divided into major, medium, and minor irrigation schemes.
• The groundwater resource accounts for about 75.9% (48.57 lakh hectares) of ultimate irrigation potential.
• The total irrigation potential created from major and medium irrigation projects during 2018-19 stood around 30.04 lakh hectares, while it was 42.03 lakh hectares from minor irrigation projects.
The issues of heavy sedimentation and breach in the canal irrigation system lead to underutilisation of the created irrigation potential. Therefore, the State Government has undertaken various initiatives to restore the lost irrigation potential. In 2018-19, such initiatives included — the Western Gandak Canal system, Eastern Kosi Canal System, Eastern Sone High-Level Canal, Chausa Pump Canal scheme etc. The total irrigation potential restored under these schemes was 234.05 thousand hectares.
In 2018-19, new irrigation potential was created by executing schemes such as Durgawati Reservoir Scheme, Kundhghat Reservoir Scheme, Sendhwa Check Dam in Jehanabad district, Weir on Panchane river in Nalanda district, Drainage and Irrigation Scheme of Danwar Lake, Western Gandak Canal System and Lavaichh Rampur Barrage. The total irrigation potential created under these schemes in 2018-19 was 12.75 thousand hectares.
• The average level of utilization efficiency in the last three years has been much high at 86%. This is measured as the ratio of actual irrigation and created irrigation potential. Without efficient utilisation of created irrigation potential, it is not possible to reap the benefits of investment in irrigation.
■ Schemes:
The Department of Minor Water Resources has taken up several programmes to extend irrigation schemes under Agricultural Road Map III (2017-22). The Department has planned to create an additional irrigation potential of 8.25 lakh hectares through surface irrigation Ahar- Pyne (5.56 lakh ha) and weir scheme (1.82 lakh ha), lift irrigation scheme (0.88 lakh ha).
1. Surface Irrigation Scheme: The Ahar Pyne Irrigation System, Weirs and Irrigation Ponds are renovated under three different sources of funding.
- State Plan: A total of 77 schemes have been completed in 2018-19, creating additional irrigation potential of 14708 hectares.
- RIDF Scheme (NABARD): 202 Ahar Pyne schemes are executed under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), out of which 189 schemes have been completed. An irrigation potential of 60.55 thousand hectares has been created in 2019- 20.
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY): A total of 44 Ahar-Pyne schemes in the districts of Nawada, Rohtas, Kaimur and Sitamarhi are being implemented and irrigation potential of 18.85 thousand hectares has been created till date.
2. Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan: This scheme intends to assist in water conservation, storage and irrigation. All Public ahar-pynes and tanks will be renovated and check dams/weirs will be constructed on small rivers, nalas, etc. for collecting rainwater during monsoon.
These schemes will be completed in three years (from 2019-20 to 2021-22). An amount of ₹24,524 crores is budgeted to be spent on this scheme in Bihar over the next three years starting from the current fiscal.
3. Ground Water Irrigation Scheme: As present, a total of 5183 state tubewells schemes are functional, out of 10,240 tubewells in Bihar.
4. Bihar Shatabdi Nalkup Yojana: The State Government provides grants up to a maximum of ₹15,000 for 70-meter deep and ₹35,000 for 100-meter deep tubewell to farmers. In addition, 50% of the cost of the motor pump set is also provided, subject to a maximum of ₹10,000. All the grants are transferred through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme.
5. Telemetry Scheme (Automatic Digital Water Level Recorder): A telemetry instrument has been installed at 564 places, of which 539 systems are already functional.
6. Tubewell Ownership: All the state tubewells have been transferred to Gram Panchayats (GP) for operation and maintenance. The GPs have been empowered to collect revenue and fix irrigation rates. A revenue of ₹21.25 lakh has been collected by the GPs in 2018-19.
The End of this Article.
■ Extra Links:
• New data on Irrigation in Bihar
• Agriculture and Allied Sectors in Bihar
The End.
