Facilitating agricultural growth in Odisha, India, through improved irrigation efficiency and access to water

Promoting robust agricultural growth is very important for Odisha, and ensuring reliable irrigation access would be a critical factor in unlocking the state’s potential for high agricultural growth. Although Odisha receives abundant rainfall [1452 mm annually (GoO 2020a)], it is concentrated in one season, with high temporal and spatial variability, necessitating comprehensive irrigation development. The area under irrigation is increasing, but a significant portion1 of the state remains dependent on rainfed agriculture. This vulnerability makes monsoon paddy productivity (the main crop) susceptible to frequent droughts, erratic rainfall events, and long dry spells during the rainy season. Lack of irrigation access is also the reason for low cropping intensity [~154% (GoO 2020b)], with significant fallow areas during the Rabi (winter) season. Access to affordable and reliable irrigation and enhancing water use efficiency are essential prerequisites for unlocking the untapped potential of rice-fallow areas in the state.

Most (~80%)2 of the existing irrigation in Odisha still depends on surface water. However, Odisha has substantial untapped potential in major, medium, and minor irrigation projects besides the untapped groundwater potential. The completion of major and medium projects has been slow in the past, and even minor irrigation projects, which deliver quick outcomes, have been lagging where the gap between irrigation potential created (IPC) and irrigation potential utilized (IPU) is ~35% (GoO 2020a). The underutilization of available groundwater resources in many parts of the state is another barrier to the development of irrigation,
although it is slowly increasing. This is despite abundant water availability in the aquifers and high recharge potential. One likely reason for lower private investment in developing groundwater irrigation is the higher risk of tubewell failure due to the hard rock aquifer nature in the state. Additionally, energy access poses another major challenge in groundwater irrigation development. Only 1.9% of the total power sales in Odisha are allocated to agriculture, in stark contrast to the national average of 20.9% in 2016-2017. Consequently, the power intensity in Odisha’s agriculture (24 kWh/ha in 2014-2015) remained much
lower compared to other Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, etc. (Hoda et al. 2021). The low electrification rate forces farmers to rely on diesel, making it costly and less economical for typical field crops and thus restricting groundwater irrigation development. Thus, to establish a sustainable irrigation system in the state, there is a need to utilize available surface and groundwater more efficiently. Investing in and designing policies to increase access to assured energy and water supplies, including conjunctive use of rainwater, canals, and groundwater, is also crucial.