On 25 September 2026, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil released the seventh Minor Irrigation Census (MIC) report (Volume II, Part II) at the valedictory session of the ninth India International Water Week (Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi) - reference year 2023-24; it includes data from the 20 states/Union Territories that have completed census work (PTI, 19 October 2026). Uttar Pradesh tops the country with 44.29 lakh schemes; schemes declined in eight states. The key findings of the sixth census (reference year 2017-18) are given below for comparison.
What Are Minor Irrigation Schemes?
Irrigation schemes based on groundwater or surface water whose individual Culturable Command Area (CCA) is up to 2,000 hectares are called minor irrigation schemes. Six main categories: dugwells (up to 15 metres), shallow tubewells (up to 35 metres), medium tubewells (up to 70 metres), deep tubewells (more than 70 metres), surface flow and surface lift schemes (PTI, 19 October 2026). These schemes are the backbone of farm livelihoods in areas outside the command of major and medium projects and in drought-prone regions.
History and Method of the Census
The first MIC took place with reference year 1986-87; the sixth with reference year 2017-18 - completed in 32 states/Union Territories (PIB, 26 August 2023). Collecting micro-level data down to the block level takes years, so the reports are not a direct picture of the current situation. Along with the sixth census, the first census of water bodies was also conducted (PIB, 23 April 2023). The seventh MIC (reference year 2023-24) began in April 2025 - digital collection through a mobile app, with enumerators recording the latitude-longitude and photo of each scheme; the second water bodies census alongside (PTI, 19 October 2026; The Hindu, 13 September 2026).
Key Findings of the Sixth MIC (2017-18) - For Comparison
(Source: Ministry of Jal Shakti / PIB release, 26 August 2023 - based on the sixth MI Census report)
- Total schemes: 2.314 crore (23.14 million) - about 14.2 lakh more than the fifth census (PIB, 26 August 2023).
- Ownership: 96.6% private (98.3% among groundwater schemes, 64.2% among surface water); gender data for the first time - 18.1% of individually owned schemes are with women (PIB, 26 August 2023).
- Dominance of groundwater: 2.193 crore (94.8%) groundwater, 12.1 lakh (5.2%) surface water schemes.
- States: Uttar Pradesh ahead of all, then Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (PIB, 26 August 2023).
- Use status: 97.0% of schemes 'in use', 2.1% temporarily and 0.9% permanently closed (PIB, 26 August 2023).
Seventh MIC (2023-24): Key State-Wise Findings
- State picture (6th to 7th): UP 44.29 lakh (from 39.76 lakh, +11.38% - the highest in the country; 99.43% groundwater; 40.18 lakh in use); Maharashtra 38.28 lakh (+7.15%); Tamil Nadu 20.81 lakh (-1.63%); Telangana 18.41 lakh (+9.6%); Andhra Pradesh 13.08 lakh (+9.84%); Rajasthan 13.77 lakh (groundwater -7.6%); Punjab 11.58 lakh (declined); Kerala 71,799 (-22.44%); Jharkhand 2.17 lakh (declined); decline in Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura too - in all, schemes declined in 8 states (PTI, 19 October 2026).
- Use constraints: among in-use schemes, 37,266 are underutilised in UP; 7.42 lakh in Maharashtra; for groundwater recharge, 1.09 lakh schemes in UP and 2.75 lakh in Maharashtra are in use; schemes are used for drinking water too - 3.46% in UP, 13.15% in Maharashtra (PTI).
- Karnataka: field work completed in August 2026 - 14.18 lakh wells/borewells, 38,960 water bodies and 77,573 surface schemes mapped; 30,671 villages and 300 urban bodies covered (The Hindu, 13 September 2026).
- Jammu and Kashmir: 13,871 schemes (13,112 in the 6th); 74.83% groundwater; 95% in use, but 2,135 in-use schemes underutilised - storage, non-availability of electricity/fuel and channel damage are the main reasons; 84.61% running without obstruction (The Tribune, 5 October 2026).
Caution: the sixth (2017-18) and seventh (2023-24) census figures belong to different reference years - compare states only within the same edition; the Volume II Part II released on 25 September covers only 20 states/Union Territories, and the report for the rest is yet to come.
From the Exam's Perspective
Preliminary Examination (PT): MIC - Ministry of Jal Shakti; first in 1986-87; sixth in 2017-18 (23.14 million schemes, 94.8% groundwater, 96.6% private ownership, 97.0% in use); seventh in 2023-24, from April 2025, mobile-app digital collection; water bodies census - first with the 6th, second with the 7th; CCA up to 2,000 hectares; 6 categories; 7th report on 25 September 2026 (C R Patil, IIWW-9); UP the highest (44.29 lakh).
Mains GS-1/GS-3: groundwater dependence (94.8%) and private ownership (96.6%); energy-cost/subsidy implications of irrigation; micro-irrigation (Per Drop More Crop) and water-use efficiency; underutilised schemes - the question of asset maintenance; data-based water governance (geo-tagging).
Sources
- [Primary] PIB: Ministry of Jal Shakti - sixth Minor Irrigation Census report release, 26 August 2023
- [Primary] PIB: First census of water bodies (conducted with the sixth MI Census), 23 April 2023
- [Press] PTI (Swadesi): Minor irrigation schemes rise in several states, decline in 8: Census, 19 October 2026
- [Press] The Hindu: 14 lakh groundwater irrigation sources identified in Karnataka, 13 September 2026
- [Press] The Tribune: 2,135 in-use minor irrigation schemes underutilised in J&K: Ministry report, 5 October 2026
- [Primary] Ministry of Jal Shakti: Seventh Minor Irrigation Census and second water bodies census portal
- [Primary] PIB: Ninth India International Water Week valedictory session (Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil), 25 September 2026
Remember: the seventh MIC (reference year 2023-24) report was released on 25 September 2026 - UP on top with 44.29 lakh schemes, a decline in 8 states; underutilisation remains a concern. Comparison with the sixth MIC (2017-18): 2.314 crore schemes, 94.8% groundwater, 96.6% private ownership - groundwater dependence is the shared warning of both censuses.
Download This Article: PDF