| Summary: | Irrigation development is one of the foundations of India's strategy for agricultural growth. The growth in area irrigated through both public and private investment in the past three decades is impressive. The area irrigated in India increased from 23 million ha in 1950/51 to 60 million ha in 1984/85. Of this irrigated area, 25 million ha was in major surface systems, 9 million ha in minor surface systems, and 26 million ha in groundwater systems. The most rapid growth was in groundwater development: the area under groundwater increased fourfold after 1950/51, while the area under major and minor irrigation doubled.
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