About 23 million minor irrigation projects were counted

There are 23.1 million operational minor irrigation schemes in India, according to a government census, Bhushan Choudhary, minister of state for Jal Shakti Raj region, said in parliament on Monday.

He added that this number includes 21.9 million groundwater management systems and 1.2 million surface water management systems. Citing the census report, this is the sixth such system.

The main objective of the census is to create a comprehensive and reliable database on the minor irrigation sector that will enable effective planning and policy-making.

During the census, detailed information is collected on various parameters like irrigation sources, dug wells, shallow, medium and deep tube wells, surface flow and surface lifting patterns, irrigation potential created and utilized, ownership, farm area, water lifting facilities, energy sources, methods used for water distribution, etc.

Groundwater systems include dug wells and tube wells, while surface water systems refer to surface flow and water level rise.