Abstract

Though irrigation has contributed significantly in boosting India’s food production and creating grain surpluses, there are vast irrigated areas where agricultural productivity continue to remain low. Many of these low productivity areas may be classified as economically water-scarce areas, where water is not a limiting factor but lack of financial means restricts development of the available resources. Irrigation development is suggested as a key strategy to enhance agricultural productivity. Several studies suggest that the irrigation needs to play a larger role toward the goal of achieving a higher agricultural productivity and national food security (Persaud and Rosen 2003; Kumar 1998).