Irrigation for poverty alleviation

Compared with rainfed farming, irrigation has been accepted as a more powerful tool of agricultural and economic growth. However, seasonal irrigation alone on small farms for producing grains does not provide adequate income to the farmer to move above the poverty line. Special provisions are necessary to help the weaker sections of society, such as the small farmers and landless labourers, to draw the full advantage of the new situation after irrigation is introduced. Irrigation projects should be planned as area development measures and should fulfil social criteria in addition to the techno-economic criteria. Liberal concessional international financial assistance should flow to the projects that specifically provide for poverty alleviation measures.