India's farms have long depended on the monsoon — a decade ago only about a third of cropland was reliably irrigated. Expanding and modernising irrigation has been a steady priority, anchored by the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) launched in 2015, which brought together canal, watershed and micro-irrigation efforts under one umbrella with the slogan Har Khet Ko Pani (water to every field).
Irrigation & Dams
Irrigation & Dams
India has the world's largest irrigated-agriculture system, and expanding it is central to farm incomes and food security. Net irrigated area rose over the decade toward roughly 760 lakh hectares, helped by the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and a big push on micro-irrigation. The map shades each state by its net irrigated area — a measure of relative irrigation intensity — and animates the change from 2014 to 2025.
~760 lakh ha
Net irrigated area
~55%
of cropland irrigated
UP · MP · Raj
Most irrigated states
Net irrigated area
2014
0lakh ha
National total
0168 lakh ha
Shaded by state
20142025
Most irrigated states
Why it matters Only about half of India's cropland is irrigated; the rest depends on the monsoon, so irrigation directly shapes farm incomes, crop choice and resilience to drought.
- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan lead by irrigated area
- Punjab and Haryana irrigate over 90% of their farmland
- Source: agricultural statistics (indicative; relative intensity)
History
Notable projects
Micro-irrigation — drip and sprinkler systems that save water and lift yields — expanded fastest, with states like Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat leading. Large projects also advanced, including Telangana's Kaleshwaram lift-irrigation scheme, one of the world's largest, and the completion of long-pending dams under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme. Punjab and Haryana already irrigate over 90% of their farmland.
How it works
Indian farming still depends heavily on the monsoon, so irrigation is what makes two or three crops a year possible. Water reaches fields three ways: big dam-and-canal systems, groundwater pumped from wells (now the largest source, and over-used in many areas), and modern micro-irrigation — drip and sprinkler — pushed hard under the 'Per Drop More Crop' programme to save water. The PMKSY ties these together to expand assured irrigation.
Outlook
The task ahead is not just more irrigation but more efficient, sustainable irrigation. Micro-irrigation has already reached over 95 lakh hectares, but the deeper fixes are easing India's heavy reliance on falling groundwater (about 60% of irrigated area), cutting canal losses, completing long-delayed dam projects, and shifting water-hungry crops (paddy, sugarcane) toward less thirsty ones.
The road ahead
The task ahead is not just more irrigation but more efficient, sustainable irrigation — easing reliance on groundwater (about 65%), cutting canal losses, and shifting water-hungry crops toward less thirsty ones.
By the numbers
~760 lakh ha net irrigated area (indicative). ~55% of cropland irrigated (up from ~37% in 2014). UP, MP, Rajasthan lead by area; Punjab & Haryana by share (90%+). ~65% of irrigation from groundwater. Sources: agricultural statistics, PMKSY.
Source: Agricultural statistics (indicative net irrigated area by state, lakh hectares); the map shows relative irrigation intensity, 2014–2025.