Micro-Irrigation

Micro-irrigation means giving water to crops in small, controlled amounts, directly near the plant, instead of flooding the whole field. The two main types are drip irrigation, where water falls drop by drop at the plant's roots through pipes, and sprinkler irrigation, where water is sprayed over the crop like rain. Both use much less water than traditional flood irrigation and often give higher yields.

Why does it exist?

In traditional flood irrigation, water is let into the field until it is covered. A large part of this water is lost: it evaporates in the sun, seeps deep below the roots, or runs off the field. Studies estimate that flood irrigation uses only about 35 to 40 per cent of the water effectively. India has limited water and a huge farm sector, so wasting most of the irrigation water is something the country cannot afford. Micro-irrigation solves this by sending water only where and when the plant needs it.

How does drip irrigation work?

1. Water is pumped from a well, tank or canal and passed through a filter, so that sand and dirt do not block the system.
2. It flows through a main pipe and then into thin plastic lateral pipes laid along the crop rows.
3. Small devices called emitters or drippers release water slowly, drop by drop, at the base of each plant.
4. Fertiliser can be dissolved in the water and given through the same pipes. This is called fertigation.

Drip is best for crops planted in rows with gaps, such as sugarcane, cotton, banana, grapes, pomegranate, vegetables and orchards. Its water-use efficiency is commonly estimated at 80 to 90 per cent or more.

How does sprinkler irrigation work?

Water is pumped under pressure through pipes to sprinkler heads (nozzles) that spray it into the air. It falls on the crop like rain. Sprinklers suit close-growing crops like wheat, pulses, groundnut and fodder, and uneven or sandy land. Its efficiency is lower than drip, roughly 50 to 75 per cent depending on design and wind, because some water evaporates or drifts in the air. Portable sprinklers and rain guns (big sprinklers covering a wide circle) are common variants.

A simple comparison

Flood irrigation is like watering a potted plant by pouring a full bucket over it. Sprinkler is like using a shower. Drip is like using a dropper that puts water right at the root.

What are the benefits?

Agricultural university studies in India have repeatedly found water savings of 30 to 60 per cent and yield increases of 20 to 40 per cent with drip compared to flood irrigation. Other benefits:

• Less electricity and diesel used for pumping, since less water is lifted.
• Fewer weeds, because the space between rows stays dry.
• Better use of fertiliser through fertigation, with less wasted.
• More land can be irrigated with the same water.
• Less waterlogging and soil salinity (salt build-up).

Where did it come from in India?

Modern drip irrigation spread worldwide from Israel in the 1960s and 1970s. In India, the government supported micro-irrigation through various schemes from the 1980s and 1990s. A government Task Force on Micro Irrigation estimated India's potential for micro-irrigation at about 69.5 million hectares. By 2017–18, only about 10 million hectares (around 14 per cent of the potential) was covered.

How does the government support it?

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched in 2015–16 with the slogan "Har Khet Ko Pani" (water to every field) and "More Crop Per Drop". Its micro-irrigation part is called Per Drop More Crop (PDMC).
• PDMC was run under PMKSY from 2015–16 to 2021–22. Since 2022–23, it runs as a component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY).
• Subsidy: the Centre and states together give 55 per cent of the cost for small and marginal farmers and 45 per cent for other farmers, for up to 5 hectares per beneficiary. Many states add extra top-up subsidy.
• Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF): announced in the Union Budget 2017–18 and set up with NABARD with an initial corpus of ₹5,000 crore. It gives states cheaper loans to expand micro-irrigation, with the Centre paying part of the interest (interest subvention).
• Coverage: According to a PIB release of August 2026, more than 115 lakh hectares had been brought under micro-irrigation under PDMC as of July 2026.

Commonly confused concepts

• Drip vs sprinkler: Drip puts water at the root, drop by drop (highest efficiency, best for row crops and orchards). Sprinkler sprays water over the whole crop (good for dense crops and uneven land, but more evaporation loss).
• Water-use efficiency vs water productivity: Water-use efficiency is about how much of the water given actually reaches the plant's roots. Water productivity is about how much crop you get per unit of water (for example, kg of rice per cubic metre). Saving water is good, but the final aim is "more crop per drop".
• PMKSY vs PDMC vs Har Khet Ko Pani: PMKSY is the umbrella irrigation scheme. Har Khet Ko Pani focuses on creating new irrigation sources. PDMC focuses on using water efficiently through micro-irrigation.
• Micro-irrigation vs minor irrigation: Minor irrigation refers to small irrigation sources such as wells, tube wells, tanks and small check dams (projects covering under 2,000 hectares). Micro-irrigation refers to the method of applying water, like drip or sprinkler.

Issues, criticism and the way forward

• High upfront cost: Even with subsidy, small farmers find it hard to pay their share. Delays in subsidy payments add to the problem.
• Small and scattered land holdings: Laying pipes is harder on tiny plots.
• Maintenance: Emitters get blocked by salt or dirt, and pipes get damaged by rodents or machines. Many systems are abandoned within a few years without after-sales service.
• Cheap or free electricity: When pumping water costs the farmer almost nothing, there is little reason to save it.
• The "rebound effect": Some studies warn that farmers may use the saved water to expand the irrigated area or grow more water-hungry crops, so total groundwater use may not fall.
• Uneven spread: A few states account for much of the coverage, while many water-short regions lag behind.
• Way forward: faster direct transfer of subsidy, group or community drip systems for small farmers, linking micro-irrigation with solar pumps under PM-KUSUM, training through Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and pricing electricity in a way that rewards saving water.

Concepts to Know

• Hectare: A unit of land area. One hectare is 10,000 square metres, about the size of a large football ground. 1 lakh hectares = 1,000 square kilometres.
• Fertigation: Giving fertiliser dissolved in irrigation water through drip or sprinkler pipes, so nutrients reach the roots directly.
• Small and marginal farmers: Marginal farmers have less than 1 hectare of land; small farmers have 1 to 2 hectares. Together they are the large majority of India's farmers.
• NABARD: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, India's apex bank for financing agriculture and rural development.
• Interest subvention: When the government pays part of the interest on a loan, so the borrower pays a lower rate.