Irrigation Development:The Story of an Underexploited Resource in Odisha

The irrigation development in Odisha since the VII Five Year Plan period shows that this resource is highly underutilised due to wide gaps between the irrigation potential created and utilised, low cost recovery of irrigation projects and slow progress of the Pani Panchayat (PP). More funds should be given for speedy completion of the Major&Medium (M&M) irrigation projects, Lift Irrigation Projects (LIPs) and tanks to enhance their efficiency and productivity in a sustainable manner. Poor performance of the PPs can be changed by incurring more O&M expenditures, reducing user charges, minimising conflicts in water sharing, farmer's active participation in the decision making process, and developing capacity building programmes for wise and effective use of water. But Odisha should not overexploit the water resources for the sake of development. There is an immediate need for adoption of a holistic approach to increase water productivity and efficiency of the existing irrigation sources by making a sustainable balance among different uses to achieve high irrigation-led-agricultural growth in future.