IWMI Upali Amarasinghe BK Anand, Madar Samad, A. Narayanmoorthy Irrigation in Andhra Pradesh: Trends and Turning Points

Outline Trends and tuning points of AP irrigated area –Net irrigated area & source wise irrigation –Gross irrigated are, Cropping patterns Irrigation trends in Polavaram command area districts

Trend Analysis Focuses on four time periods – – –1997 – 2001 – – Significant change Enacted “Farmer Manage Irrigation Systems Act [FMISA]” Wide spread droughts

Irrigation- Why is it important ? Andhra Pradesh in comparison to other states has the 4 th largest land area 5 th largest population 3 rd in per capita income of all states 4 th largest contributor to the national economy and AP Agriculture has 25% of the GDP from the agriculture sector 70% of the population have agriculture depended livelihoods 43% of the crop lands are under irrigation AP Irrigation contributes to 66% or more to the agriculture output

Irrigation in AP: What has happened? Gradual significant growth before 1987 Significant abrupt shift in 1987 No significant change between Significant increasing trend after 1996 Severe drop due to droughts

Irrigation in AP: What has happened?

Spatial Trends – Net irrigated area Telangana NIA increased both before and after 1987 Coastal Andhra Pradesh NIA increased before 1987, but no significant change after 1987 Rayalaseema NIA decreased before A slight but statistically not significant increasing trend after 1987 Rainfall variation was an influencing factor in three regions

How did different sources of irrigation contribute? Biggest gain - Groundwater irrigation – Increased 17% to 43% Largest decline- Tank irrigation - 30% to 15% Surface irrigation declining - 49% to 37%

How did canal irrigated area change? Investment is increasing, But NSIA has – increased in the 1970s/ 1980’s –Decreased in early 1990’s –Stagnated in the late 1990’s NSIA increased before 1987 in Coastal Andhra and Telangana NIA decreased between But the decline is arrested after 1996 NIA in Rayalaseema is continuously decreasing

How did net tank irrigated area change? Tank irrigated area decreased both before and after 1987 But there is a significant shift in In general tank irrigated area decrease over all time periods in all three regions. However, the shift in 1987 was significant in Costal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema region

How did net groundwater irrigated area change? Significant increase before 1987 Significant acceleration after Rainfall was not a factor before 2002 NGWIA growth was fastest in the Telangana region Shift in 1987 was significant in all regions NGWIA in Telangana increasing at an increasing rate. Growth was independent of rainfall until had a drop in Telangana due to below average rainfall

How did well irrigated area change? Tubewell area is increasing and Dugwell area is decreasing

How did Gross Irrigated Area change? GIA Increased before 1987 had a significant shift in 1987 secreased in stagnated in affected in due to droughts GIA Increased before 1987 had a significant shift in 1987 Decreased in Stagnated in Droughts affected

How did groundwater irrigation contributing to GIA change? Net groundwater irrigated area had a significant contribution to GIA growth Contribution is decreasing in recent decades

Recent crop diversification trends? Food crop area decreasing; Non food crop area increasing Rice area is decreasing fast. Maize, a feed crop, area is increasing Fruits and vegetable area increasing Sugarcane area in creasing

Groundwater play a crucial role in AP irrigation Distress in groundwater irrigated areas is increasing, especially in rainfall deficit years Sustain GW area, recharge programs is necessary in the short-medium term General findings

Needs studies on –Reservoir siltation and canal irrigated area loss –Gap between potential and actual irrigated area –Potential artificial recharge from thousands of AP tanks –Implications of water demand due to cropping pattern changes –Implications of crop diversification on the livestock economy –Water demand of domestic, industrial, environmental sectors –Additional water resources management & development needs for meeting AP water futures –Returns to investments in the irrigated sector –Future investments needs – medium and long term What needs to be done?

Command area is located in Vishakapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna 13% of the geographical area of AP 15% of the net sown area 24% of the net irrigated area 40% of the net surface irrigated area 17% of the net tank irrigated area 18% of the net tubewell irrigated area 12 percent of net groundwater irrigated area 28% of the gross irrigated area Polavaram command area districts

155% irrigation intensity 166% and 168% irrigation intensity in East and West Godavari 64% of the crop area is irrigated 63 and 88% of the crop area irrigated in East and West Godavari Polavaram command area districts

Thank you