CCSAP Report - Ministry of Home Affairs

through canal system, mostly due to the advantage of delta and the natural
gradient which can be exploited very well by canal irrigation. On the other hand,
both the Telangana and Rayalaseema regions are not able to access river waters
due to lack of gradient. But the natural advantage of ‘tank’ irrigation was
present in case of Telangana, whereas this opportunity was even less in
Rayalaseema. Thus Rayalaseema is the most disadvantaged in terms of access to
irrigation of any type in the state of AP.
However, two third of irrigated area in coastal Andhra was through canals at the
time of reorganization, whereas, it was only 16% in Telangana and 19% in
Rayalaseema. A cause of concern is that surface water irrigation through Tanks
has declined significantly from over 64% in 1955-56 to just 12% in 2008-09 in
Telangana. The trend is similar in Rayalaseema with respect to decline in
irrigation from surface/tanks. The reasons for decline in tank irrigation have been
explored at greater length in the Chapter on irrigation.
The puzzle is in coastal Andhra, where the canal and tank irrigation has declined
by about 10 percent, each over a period of 53 years, and even in this region bore
well (energized) irrigation which was insignificant (4%) in 1955-56 has increased
to 25 percent. Due to the natural advantages, both surface and underground
water sources contribute to the irrigation system in coastal Andhra, whereas, in
Telangana and Rayalaseema regions irrigation is highly dependent on
underground water source.
89