2.2. Based on Magnitude

Irrigation Projects in India are classified into three categories on the basis of Culturable command area (CCA) [1] as:

♤ Major - Projects which have a CCA of more than 10,000 hector are termed as Major Projects.

♤ Medium - Irrigation Projects which have a CCA of less than 10,000 hector but more than 2,000 hector are termed as Medium projects

♤ Minor Irrigation - those Irrigation Projects which have a CCA of 2,000 hector or less are known as Minor projects.

The ultimate irrigation potential of the country from major and medium irrigation projects has

been assessed as about 64 M-ha. For the country as a whole, 66% of it has been created. The average rate of creation of irrigation potential through Major and Medium projects from 1951 to 1997 has been found to be of the order of 0.51 Million hectare per year. During the year 1997 to 2005, the rate for creation has been found to be 0.92 Million hectare per year. This increase in pace is probably due to fruition of projects started much earlier, which have been expedited due to increased support through AIBP(Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme).

Minor irrigation projects have both surface and ground water as their source, while Major and

Medium projects mostly exploit surface water resources. Ground water minor irrigation is primarily done through individual and cooperative effort of farmers with the help of institutional finance and their own savings. Surface water minor irrigation schemes are generally funded from the public sector only. The ultimate irrigation potential from minor irrigation schemes have been

assessed as 75.84 million ha of which partly would be ground water based (58.46 million ha) and covers about two thirds. By the end of the ninth plan, the total potential created by minor irrigation was 60.41 million ha.

Minor irrigation schemes contribute a major share in the growing irrigation across the country accounting for about 65% of the total irrigation potential utilized. The Minor irrigation scheme has been categorized broadly into five major types, namely:

1. Dugwell

2. Shallow tubewell

3. Deep tubewell

4. Surface flow schemes

5. Surface lift schemes