Guduri Kailasam

Dept. of Economics, Osmania University, Hyderabad 

Abstract

Telangana’s irrigation is based on two large rivers, the Godavari and Krishna, which have a combined allocation of 1266.94 TMC (967.94 TMC and 299 TMC, respectively) of guaranteed water and 500 TMC of surplus water in each river. Nine Major Irrigation Projects that have been finished have increased the state’s irrigation potential by 21.32 lakh acres. A comprehensive irrigation development strategy has been devised by the Telangana government in order to provide irrigation facilities for around 125 lakh acres of land throughout the state. The government has also launched a number of initiatives and developed a six-pronged strategy for the expedited completion of outstanding irrigation projects. One of the most significant connections between irrigation and agriculture. It increases productivity and shields farmers from unfavourable monsoons, guaranteed irrigation is essential for crop production and farmer incomes. Additionally, guaranteed irrigation can preserve groundwater levels and increase water usage efficiency. India is the second-most populous country in the world and has an agriculture-based economy. Agriculture output supports India’s food requirement and accounts for 17% of its GDP. A crucial element in the development of agriculture is irrigation. Irrigation is currently neither in a suitable state nor does is there a progressive strategy. The government must take the appropriate action to improve irrigation system effectiveness in order to fully enhance water demand for rich crop patterns.

Keywords: Agriculture, Irrigation, Telangana, Trends 

Introduction

Irrigation development in Telangana

According to the Socio-Economic Outlook 2023, during the 2014-15 to 2022-23 period, the Telangana government spent Rs 1.61 lakh crore on irrigation projects in the State, resulting in an increase of the Gross Irrigated Area (GIA) from 62.48 lakh acres in 2014-15 to 135 lakh acres in 2021-22, an increase of 117 percent. 26,885 crore has been proposed for the Irrigation Department for the 2023-24 fiscal. The Telangana government is determined to provide irrigation to 1 crore 25 lakh acres.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project or KLIP is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhupalpally, Telangana, India. The confluence of the Pranhita and Godavari rivers is the site of the largest multi-stage lift irrigation project in the world as of right now. Vidyasagar Rao Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme for his enormous contribution to irrigation in Telangana. He fought for safe drinking water in the fluoride-affected Nalgonda district and provided water to the arid lands in the Telangana region.

Nizam Sagar is the oldest dam in the state of Telangana. This place is located at about 145 km north-west of the state capital Hyderabad and 81 km from Nizamabad District.

The Nizamsagar dam was built in 1923 by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the then-ruler of the royal Hyderabad. The correct answer is Wells. In Telangana throughout the past ten years, wells have mostly served as the source of irrigation. About 75% of Telangana’s net irrigated area is served by bore wells and other wells. Over time, irrigation beneath the ponds has decreased while increasing beneath the canals. In the State, Rangareddy has the largest percentage of well-irrigated land (95%) followed by the districts of Medak and Karimnagar. In India, canals are the secondary source of irrigation after wells and tube wells. Large plains, excellent soils, and enduring rivers are features of the territories that are being irrigated by the canals. Most of North India’s plains are irrigated by canals.

Review of Literature 

Sanjukumar (2015) attempted to understand that irrigation is the essential input for increasing

agricultural output, therefore, the development of irrigation has been a key approach in the development of farm sector in the country. In this work, he examined various forms of irrigation and their effects on agriculture. India’s farming is mostly reliant on the monsoon season. Additionally, this study provided information on how to manage irrigation for important Indian crops such rice, wheat, maize, pulses, and oilseeds.

Narayana and Narayanan Nair (1983) emphasized on assessment of the impact of irrigation on

agricultural output in Kerala and also to identify the main constraints on the development of irrigation. Researchers discovered that while winter and summer crops are not affected by irrigation, autumn crops are somewhat stabilised and yields are improved. Poor irrigation water management is to blame for the lack of any significant effects of irrigation on agricultural productivity. Numerous additional studies that have demonstrated that an increase in irrigation infrastructure will result in an improvement in productivity per worker and per unit of capital do not support the conclusion drawn.

Data and methodology

This study is completely based on secondary sources of data. The Department of Agriculture and Irrigation(TS), Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Hyderabad, various Socio-Economic outlooks, Statistical yearbooks, Agriculture census, and Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India publications were the sources for the secondary data. The study’s analytical section has used growth rates.

Telangana is newly formed 29th state of India, situated in the central stretch of the Indian Peninsula on the Deccan Plateau. Geographically, the state is situated in a semi-arid region with a climate that is primarily hot and dry. The state is drained by the two significant rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna, as well as a number of smaller rivers, including the Manjira, the Bhima, and the Musi. The southwest monsoons cause Telangana’s annual average precipitation to range between 900 and 1500 mm in the north and 700 to 900 mm in the south.Agriculture in the state is a proverbial bet in the monsoons since rainfall is unpredictable and inconsistent.

Historically, during the period of Kakatiya’s tank irrigation has developed hugely like big lakes Ramappa,Pakhal, Laknavaram and many others. . The area irrigated by canals and wells was later expanded throughout the planning phase by building new projects and canals. Some of the outstanding accomplishments made by the Nizam during his rule are Mir Alam, Hussain Sagar, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, and the Nizamsgar projects, among others. But following the Green Revolution for two decades, well irrigation has increased significantly, especially due to private investment.

Water for irrigation can be obtained from a variety of sources, including groundwater (from springs or wells), surface water (from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs), or unconventional sources like treated wastewater, desalinated water, drainage water, or fog collection. spate irrigation, also known as floodwater harvesting, is a particular type of surface water irrigation. The moisture stored in the soil will be used thereafter to grow crops. Spate irrigation areas are in particular located in semi-arid or arid, mountainous regions. Rainwater harvesting is typically not regarded as a kind of irrigation, although floodwater harvesting is a recognized irrigation technique. Rainwater harvesting is the gathering and concentration of runoff water from roofs or vacant land. 90% of the world’s wastewater production goes untreated, leading to widespread water pollution, particularly in low-income nations. Untreated wastewater is increasingly being used as an irrigation water source in agriculture. Cities are appealing to farmers because they offer lucrative marketplaces for fresh food. Farmers frequently have no choice but to utilise water contaminated with urban waste, including sewage, to water their crops because agriculture must compete for increasingly limited water resources with industry and municipal consumers. Using water contaminated with pathogens in this way poses serious health risks, especially if consumers consume fresh vegetables that have been irrigated with contaminated water.

Table 1: Percentage of Net Area Irrigated by Source of Irrigation from 2008-09 to 2015-16

S.No.	Year	Net AreaIrrigated(lakh Ha.)	% of Canal	%Tank	%Wells
1	2008-09	18.28	11.55	13.03	72.09
2	2009-10	14.93	9.18	3.82	84.33
3	2010-11	20.04	15.76	11.87	69.63
4	2011-12	19.85	16.37	9.22	71.69
5	2012-13	17.74	5.07	8.91	83.77
6	2013-14	22.89	12.67	10.05	74.83
7	2014-15	17.26	10.08	5.62	81.87
8	2015-16(K)	13.13	3.43	8.38	86.37

Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Hyderabad. K= Kharif

The net area watered by well grew from 72.09 percent in 2008-09 to 86.37% in 2015-16(K), indicating a decline in public irrigation investment. Increased well irrigation causes groundwater supplies to be depleted and also requires greater private investment, which raises the cost of farming. While tank irrigation also dropped over the time, the area watered by canals climbed from 11.55 percent in 2008-09 to 12.68 percent in 2013-14 and decreased to 10.08% in 2014-15. In 2008–09, the tank’s net irrigated area made up 13.03% of the overall net irrigated area, however, it rapidly shrunk throughout the course of the year.

Status of groundwater development

In the State, groundwater-based irrigation was a reliable source of water during the late 19th-century monsoon drought years. The early 1980s drilling technology advancements in hard rock regions led to an increase in groundwater irrigation that eventually surpassed tank and canal irrigations (Pingale, G., 2011). Most of the state’s well irrigation systems are operated by individual farmers who have spent money on digging dug wells, dug cumbre wells, or bore/tube wells (bw/tw), installing pump sets, and constructing pipelines to their fields. These farmers only benefit from free power, which the previous administration has been giving them twice daily since 2004 (Pingale, G., 2011). As of January 1, 2018, the current administration is providing 24 hours of free, high-quality power to agricultural pump sets (PD, Telangana State Government, 2018). Currently, the state has 24.2 lakh connections for pump sets (The Hindu, 20 March 2020). COVID-19 for many benefits to some, extracting 8084 mcm of groundwater for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use.

Table 2 : Trends in Cropping Intensity

S. No	District	1997-98	2002-03	2007-08	2012-13
1	Mahabubnagar	1.08	1.08	1.07	1.11
2	Rangareddy	1.09	1.08	1.13	1.11
3	Hyderabad	–	–	–	–
4	Medak	1.18	1.24	1.22	1.24
5	Nizamabad	1.49	1.47	1.62	1.66
6	Adilabad	1.05	1.03	1.09	1.08
7	Karimnagar	1.42	1.38	1.58	1.45
8	Warangal	1.30	1.23	1.31	1.32
9	Khammam	1.07	1.06	1.11	1.13
10	Nalgonda	1.24	1.16	1.29	1.23
11	Telangana	1.69	1.20	1.42	1.19

Note: 1) Cropping intensity is the ratio of gross cultivated area to net area sown 2)1997-98 refers to the average of 1996-1997, 1997-98 and1998-99. 2002-03 refers to           the average       of         2001- 02,2002-03 and 2003-04.2007-08 refers    to  average of 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09. 2012-13 refers to representaverage of 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14.

Source: Computed from data collected from Statistical Abstract of Andhra Pradesh and Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, Government of India of various years

                Table 3 : Trends in Intensity of Irrigation(In percentage)

S.No	District	1997-98	2002-03	2007-08	2012-13
1	Mahabubnagar	0.20	0.18	0.25	0.29
2	Rangareddy	0.22	0.22	0.26	0.30
3	Hyderabad	–	–	–	–
4	Medak	0.28	0.26	0.33	0.32
5	Nizamabad	0.59	0.64	o.65	0.61
6	Adilabad	0.01	0.15	0.14	0.15
7	Karimnagar	0.66	0.67	0.79	0.75
8	Warangal	0.59	0.60	0.66	0.63
9	Khammam	0.41	0.36	0.44	0.43
10	Nalgonda	0.39	0.33	0.49	0.43
11	Telangana	0.22	0.36	0.49	0.42

Note: 1) Intensity of irrigation is the percentage of net area irrigated to net area sown. 2)1997-98 refers to average of 1996-1997, 1997-98 and1998-99.

2002-03 refers to average of 2001-02, 2002-03 and2003-04.

2007-08 refers to represent average of 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.

2012-13 refers to represent average of 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Source: Computed from data collected from Statistical Abstract of Andhra Pradesh and Agricultural Statistics at aGlance, Government of India of various years

Conclusion

The growth of irrigation infrastructure benefits the State’s rural economy, especially the agricultural sector. It is evident from the research above that irrigation has been more important in the growth of the agricultural industry in Telangana state. It is obvious that irrigation facilities have grown over time, but additional facilities will need to be added in the future. We find that well irrigation, one of the dominant methods of irrigation in recent decades, has negative effects on groundwater levels and requires greater private investment, which drives up the cost of farming. However, irrigation in tanks and canals exhibited a decreasing tendency at that time. Additionally, irrigation encourages increased land use, causing a change in crop pattern in favour of new and improved crop types, commercial crops, and cropping intensity. Since agriculture is the foundation for all other types of growth, the state must develop its agricultural sector. In agricultural development, irrigation in the form of soil moisture plays a prominent role. thus, role. Therefore, irrigation is a key component in the growth of agricultural in the State.

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