Modern Irrigation System in Cauvery Delta Region

Abstract

Agriculture is the occupation carried by majority of people; there were some systems of irrigation in India before the advent of British rule. The irrigation system was maintained by the central political authority in ancient times. This tradition continued to some extend in the medieval period. Initially the company did not take any responsibility for irrigation during the eighteenth century, British started on irrigation work in Cauvery Delta districts. Historically, the area has been benefited by the availability of natural flow irrigation from a number of rivers which pass through the region the largest of these, the Cauvery, has a length of 500 miles from it source in neighboring state Karnataka to this outlet in eastern Thanjavur. Irrigation was mostly by tanks, small and large, the whole of them were British. Canals, tanks and wells constitute the main sources of irrigation in the state. Modern methods of applying irrigation water there are three principal methods of irrigation viz. surface, subsurface and aerial. Surface irrigation there are four variations under this method such as Flooding, Bed or border method, Basin method and Furrow method.