750,000 Hectares Irrigated in Madhya Pradesh in Just 19 Months
From weather dependence to planned irrigation: MP’s shift in agriculture strategy
On July 31, the Madhya Pradesh government reported a remarkable achievement in the Legislative Assembly — 7.5 lakh (750,000) hectares of agricultural land were brought under irrigation in the last 19 months alone. This expansion is equal to what took 56 years to achieve post-independence.
According to a report by the Water Resources and Narmada Valley Development Departments, Madhya Pradesh had only 768,000 hectares of irrigated land till 2003. As of July 2025, the total irrigated area stands at 5.206 million hectares, with 750,000 hectares added in just the last 19 months.
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has announced a goal to bring 10 million hectares under irrigation by 2030. Ongoing and approved projects aim to add another 4.862 million hectares.
The state’s total cultivable area is 15.848 million hectares, meaning more than 5 million hectares still remain unirrigated.
Irrigation Contributions by Departments
- Water Resources Department: 239,000 hectares
- Narmada Valley Development Department: 511,000 hectares
Districts Benefiting from Water Resources Projects:
Rajgarh, Agar Malwa, Mandsaur, Sagar, Chhindwara, Seoni, Dhar, Khandwa, Datia, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Bhind, Morena, Dewas, Ratlam, Neemuch, Panna, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore
Districts Benefiting from Narmada Valley Development Projects:
Barwani, Khandwa, Khargone, Sehore, Dewas, Ujjain, Shajapur, Katni, Indore, Jabalpur