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Abstract
Irrigation, in conjunction with high-yielding seeds and agro-chemicals, has been a crucial factor in the intensification of Indian agriculture, contributing to improvements in productivity, farmers’ incomes, and food security. The net irrigated area increased from 25 million hectares in 1960-61 to 79 million hectares in 2023-24, representing an increase from 19% to 56% of the net sown area. However, over three-fourths of the increase in irrigated area occurred due to groundwater extraction, the share of which in net irrigated area doubled from 30% to 60%. Concurrently, a transition occurred in energy sources for groundwater extraction devices (GEDs), from diesel to electricity. The number of electric-operated GEDs increased almost four-fold from 4.7 million in 1986-87 to 16.5 million in 2017-19.