Irrigation by source
Where India's irrigation water comes from — the share of net irrigated area by source.
Irrigation from wells (groundwater)
60.5%
2021-22 · in % of net irrigated area
Trend
The numbers
| Tube wells | 47.3 |
| Canals | 24.7 |
| Other wells | 13.2 |
| Tanks | 2.8 |
| Other | 12 |
Share of net irrigated area by source of irrigation, 2021-22 (latest Land Use Statistics).
What the numbers say
- India's net irrigated area was 77.9 million hectares in 2021-22, covering about 55% of the gross cropped area.
- Groundwater dominates: tube wells (47.3%) plus other wells (13.2%) supply about 60% of irrigation — a growing sustainability concern.
- Canals, once the mainstay, now account for under a quarter (24.7%); tanks have shrunk to under 3%.
Related
IndianAgri coverage using this data
- The Cucumber Grew Fine. The Price Is What Decided the Profit.23 August 2026
- Drip Irrigation Cost Per Acre in India — and What the Subsidy Really Pays16 August 2026
- India's Irrigation Gap: 30% of Pumps Still Run on Diesel, Only 7% of Land Under Micro-Irrigation25 July 2026
- Assam Budget 2026-27: Rs 4,000 Crore for Brahmaputra Valley Irrigation, Tea Growers Get Fourfold Tax Exemption Boost10 July 2026
- Include Centre Pivot Irrigation in PMKSY-PDMC: A Case for Expanding India's Precision Irrigation Framework5 July 2026
Sources
Land Use Statistics 2021-22, Directorate of Economics & Statistics, DA&FW. LUS 2022-23 has since been published; the source-wise split moves only marginally year to year, so this edition is retained until the newer breakdown is read off the primary tables.
Last reviewed 16 August 2026.