CHAPTER - V
Irrigation

5.1.0 The economic development of Assam is mainly dependent on the development of agriculture and irrigation is the main infrastructure for development of this vital sector. The modernization of agricultural practices vis-à-vis increase in productivity of crops cannot be conceived in absence of assured irrigation facilities. The importance of irrigation development in a State like Assam therefore, needs no special emphasis.

5.1.1 Like other leading States in India, the programmes for development of irrigation in Assam has been launched under two heads, viz., Major & Medium Irrigation and Minor Irrigation. While the Irrigation Schemes are classified as Major, Medium and Minor, they are categorised as Surface Flow, Surface Lift (For Major/Medium and Minor) and Ground Water Lift (for Minor only).

5.1.2 At present three Departments, viz. Irrigation, Agriculture and Panchayat & Rural Development are associated with development of irrigation facilities in the State. While the Irrigation Department, which is the Nodal Department for development of irrigation in State, executes and maintains Major, Medium and Minor Irrigation Schemes, the irrigation works of the other two departments are confined to Minor Schemes only. It may further be mentioned that the Assam State Minor Irrigation Development Corporation (ASMIDC) Ltd. Was also earlier closely associated with the development of Minor Irrigation in the State by installing Private Shallow Tube Wells (STWs) and Low Lift Points (LLPs) through provision of institutional finance upto 1992-93. But its field works have since remained suspended due to stoppage of institutional finance.

5.1.3 Out of the total geographical area of 78.44 lakh hectares, the Gross Cropped Area of Assam is 39.41 lakh hectares (1998-99). Against this, the ultimate irrigation potential i.e. the ultimate Gross Irrigation Potential (Annually Irrigable Area) to be created is assessed at 27 lakh hectres, which constitutes 68.51 per cent of the Gross Cropped Area. Against this, the Gross Irrigation Potential created upto 2002-03 is only 10.70 lakh hectares which constitutes only 27.15 per cent of Gross Cropped Area and 39.63 per cent of ultimate irrigation potential. The contribution made by the above three departments and the ASMIDC is shown at Table 5.1.

TABLE – 5.1
GROSS IRRIGATION POTENTIAL (ANNUALLY IRRIGABLE AREA) CREATED IN ASSAM UPTO 2002-2003

The above statistics reveals that the progress so far achieved is not much encouraging. The position is however expected to improve is near future due to efforts being made is that direction.

The irrigation schemes in the State are being taken up through loan assistance from the World Bank under the Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services Project (ARIASP) and the Government of India under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) and also from the Non-Lapsable Central Pool (NLCP) of resources with 100 percent Central Assistance for creation of additional irrigation potential in the State. The achievements under the above Schemes are narrated below.

(a) Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services Project (ARIASP):

Although the ARIASP was officially started in the year 1995-96, the execution of the scheme was however started from 1997-98. Under the project, installation of 141 Deep Tube Wells and 81 River Pumping Station were taken up under phase-I with a project cost of Rs 11.76 crore for rehabilitating potential of 6909 hectares in 20 Districts of Assam. Out of this 192 Nos. have already been commissioned and 9 Nos. are under process of execution during the year 2002-2004. Moreover, 23 Community Micro Lifting Irrigation Schemes (CMLIS) were also taken up in 9 Districts with a project cost of Rs 0.36 crore to cover an area of 300 hectares and out of these 10 CMLIS have already been completed and rest 13 are expected to be completed during the year 20003-2004. The total expenditure incurred upto 2002-2003 is Rs 9.27 crore against Rs 9.59 crore released by the ARIASP Society and the Physical achievement is 5760 hectares under rehabilitation scheme and 130 hectares under CMLIS.

(b) Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP):

The Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme with Central Loan Assistance (CLA) was initially conceived during the year, 1995-96 but actual allocation of fund was received in the year, 1996-97. The programme was originally meant for Major and Medium Irrigation Schemes only but subsequently it was also extended to cover Minor Irrigation Schemes. At the initial stage the funding pattern of the AIBP was in the Ratio of 1:1 by the Central: State Government which was subsequently modified to 2:1 and now it stands at 3:1 for special category States including Assam. In addition to the works of modernization of Jamuna Irrigation Project all other ten Major and Medium Irrigation Projects have been taken up under the AIBP upto 2002-2003. Out of these, works of two projects are targeted to be completed during the year 2003-2004.

A total of Rs 88.61 crore have been released as Central Loan Assistance since 1996-97 to 2002-2003, out of which, Rs 81.21 crore have been expended creating irrigation potential of 37,836 hectares.

As regards Minor Irrigation under the AIBP, a total of 56 Nos. of schemes have been taken up since 1999-2000 with estimated cost of Rs 38.06 crore against which Central Loan Assistance released upto 2002-2003 is Rs 11.99 crore and 18 schemes have been completed covering an area of 14,688 hectares.

(c) Non-Lapsable Central Pool (NLCP):

Under the programme of Non-Lapsable Central Pool (NLCP) of Resources, 86 nos. of Minor Irrigation Schemes in Phase-I have been completed creating additional potential area for irrigation of 10,142 hectares against the targeted area of 13,775 hectares by incurring Rs 11.21 crore in Plain Areas of the State.

Under Phase-II, which was started in the year 2000-2001, a total of 37 number of schemes comprising 25 in Plain Area and 12 in Hills Areas were taken up against the allocation of Rs 22.41 crores (Rs 3.19 crore for Plain Areas and Rs 19.22 crore for Hill Areas) with a target of physical achievement of 14,021 hectares (5462 hectares for Plain Areas and 8559 hectares of Hill Areas). Against this, a total of 5049 (2773 hectares in Plain Areas and 2276 hectares in Hill Areas) have been achieved upto 2002-2003 under 21 schemes (12 in Plains Areas and 9 in Hill Areas). The expenditure incurred upto 2002-2003 is 19.73 crores (Rs 1.94 crores in Plains Areas and Rs 17.79 crore in Hills Areas).

Utilization of created irrigation potential:

5.1.4 The most discouraging aspect of irrigation development in the State is the decreasing trend of utilization of created potential from the government Irrigation Schemes.

The cumulative irrigation potential created and utilized during the lat seven years are furnished in Table 5.2.

TABLE – 5.2
IRRIGATION POTENTIAL CREATED AND UTILISED
(Area in thousand hectares)

It is evident from the above data that the overall percentage of utilisation to the created irrigation potential is only 22.17 per cent. Apart from non-practising of cropping pattern as per approved/designed cropping pattern of the Irrigation Schemes and lack of eagerness on the part of the farmers to utilize irrigation water due to lack of awareness about the role played by irrigation in increasing yield rates of crops, non-repair of schemes due to paucity of fund, non-energisation of pump sets and erratic supply of electricity in case of Electrical Lift Irrigation Schemes etc, are some of the reasons of under-utilisation of available irrigation potential from Government Schemes. The imposition of Irrigation Service Charges on the beneficiary cultivators has also made some farmers reluctant to avail the benefits of irrigation facilities. The urgent need, therefore, is to educate the farmers about the benefits of irrigation for better cultivation and to motivate them to make optimum use of the available irrigation potential and to pay the Irrigation Service Charges for their benefits and for improvement of the economy of the State. The involvement of the NGOs in this regard is also considered essential.

Irrigation Service Charges:

5.1.5 As per national policy, Irrigation Service Charges or water rates, as the case may be, should be realized from the beneficiary farmers so as to cover at least the full operation and maintenance cost of the irrigation schemes and the same should be reviewed and enhance time to time to cover even one per cent of the capital cost. The Irrigation Department had levied Irrigation Service Charges in 1992 and the rates were doubled with effect form 2000-2001 for enhancing revenue in conformity with the Fiscal Reform Programme. The prevailing rates of Irrigation Service Charges which came into effect from 2000-2001 are furnished in Table 5.3.

TABLE – 5.3
CROPWISE IRRIGATION SERVICE CHARGES IN ASSAM WITH EFFECT FROM 2000-2001

The Irrigation Services Charges are to be realized by the Irrigation Department through the Beneficiary Committees of the respective Irrigation Schemes. For this purposes, the Department has taken action for formation of Water Users Association (WUAs) which are also to be entrusted with the operation and maintenance of the schemes with a view to achieve optimum utilization of irrigation potential. About 450 WUAs have been formed upto 2002-2003 and 149 schemes rehabilitated under the ARIASP have been handed over to the WUAs upto October 2003.

As a result of stress laid on enhancing realization of Irrigation Service Charges, the amount realized has also increased from negligible Rs 0.24 lakh in 2001-2002 to Rs 1.77 lakh in 2002-2003. The position is expected to improve further in 2003-2004.

Minor Irrigation Census:

5.1.6 The Irrigation Department is also implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, Rationalization of Minor Irrigation Statistics under 100 per cent Central assistance since 1987-88. One of the objectives of the scheme is to conduct a quinquennial census of all categories of Minor Irrigation Schemes both Government and Private so as to form a reliable database for future planning. The State Irrigation Department as the Nodal Department in irrigation sector had already conducted two censuses on Minor Irrigation Schemes with base years 1986-87 and 1993-94 respectively. The work of the third census with base year 2000-2001 at an estimated cost of 67.36 lakh sanctioned and borne by the Government of India was completed in 2002-2003. The data collected through the Census has been submitted to the State Agricultural Statistics Authority (SASA) for vetting as per guideline of the Government of India. The same after being vetted by the SASA and approved by the State Level Committee on Agricultural Statistics will be submitted to the Government of India.