Shimla/New Delhi, March 25
The Jal Shakti Vibhag of Himachal Pradesh has been honoured by the Government of India for successfully completing the first Major and Medium Irrigation (MMI) Census under the Irrigation Census 2023-2025. The award was recently presented by Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil in New Delhi, where Secretary Jal Shakti Vibhag Dr. Abhishek Jain received it on behalf of the department in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao. Today, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta and Secretary Jal Shakti Dr. Abhishek Jain formally presented the award to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Shimla.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister lauded the dedicated efforts of the department’s officers and officials, calling it a significant achievement. He emphasized that irrigation is a critical driver for enhancing agricultural productivity and increasing farmers’ income and said that strengthening the rural economy remains a top priority of the state government, as reflected in the Budget 2026-27. This achievement highlights the departments commitment to data-driven planning, besides improved governance for strengthening the irrigation sector in the State, he added.
The MMI Census has been undertaken to build a comprehensive national repository of irrigation-related data. Under this framework, irrigation projects with a Culturable Command Area (CCA) of over 10,000 hectares are classified as major projects, while those with a CCA between 2,000 and 10,000 hectares are categorized as medium projects.
In Himachal Pradesh, a total of 10 MMI projects were covered under the Census. This included one major project and nine medium projects. Of these, eight projects (one major and seven medium) have been completed, while two medium projects are currently ongoing. The Census involved extensive data collection across 32 parameters, including CCA, Gross Command Area (GCA), irrigation potential created, cropping patterns, interstate aspects, population benefited, statutory clearances, design features, water utilization across sectors and Command Area Development (CAD) works. The department completed the entire exercise by October 2025, well ahead of the December 2025 deadline, demonstrating strong coordination and commitment.
The only major project in the State is used exclusively for irrigation, while seven out of the nine medium projects also serve irrigation purposes. All completed projects are contributing positively in terms of irrigation potential created and utilized. However, utilization levels indicate scope for improvement-approximately 64 percent of the created potential is utilized in the major project, compared to about 84 percent in medium projects. Overall, medium projects contribute a larger share (around 59 percent) to irrigation potential utilization. These projects are primarily used during the Kharif and Rabi seasons, although irrigation support extends across agricultural cycles. Water utilization is higher in major projects compared to medium ones, and all 10 projects currently rely on the flood irrigation method.
