~ 2231 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2020; 9(1): 2231-2236 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 www.phytojournal.com JPP 2020; 9(1): 2231-2236 Received: 28-11-2019 Accepted: 30-12-2019 Sanjeeta Biswas Department of Agricultural Statistics Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Nadia, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India Banjul Bhattacharyya Department of Agricultural Statistics Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Nadia, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India Corresponding Author: Sanjeeta Biswas Department of Agricultural Statistics Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Nadia, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India A study of development of irrigation potential under five year plans in India Sanjeeta Biswas and Banjul Bhattacharyya DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/phyto.2020.v9.i1ak.10802 Abstract Agriculture plays a major role in India’s economy and irrigation is the catalyst for the agriculture development. Now a day’s dependency on irrigation has been increased due to uncertainty of rainfall in India. This paper discusses the development of the irrigation system in India by using the secondary information, which is helpful to provide a background for the objective, based analysis of the irrigation development. In this paper the study focuses on plan wise irrigation potential created and utilized and the gap created between both the irrigation potential which is analysed through statistical methods. Descriptive statistics and parametric regression models and correlation analysis have been employed out to study the relationship. This study is accomplished in SPSS Software. It is observed from the results that the plan wise development of irrigation potential and utilized during the plan periods, we observed that gradually a gap has been created between Irrigation potential created (IPC) and Irrigation potential utilized (IPU) over the plan periods. The results of this study will be used for utilized for coming up with an acceptance policy for groundwater use and its appropriate regulation to avoid future crisis. Keywords: Irrigation potential created (IPC), irrigation potential utilized (IPU), gap between IPC and IPU, parametric regression model, correlation analysis Introduction Agriculture is the most important sector of Indian economy, where more than 58 per cent of population depends on agriculture. It is the backbone of Indian economy. According to India economic survey 2018, agriculture sector employs more than 50 per cent of the total workforce in India and contributes around 17-18 percent to the country's GDP. Irrigated agriculture has made a major contribution to food production and food security throughout the world: without irrigation much of the impressive growth in agricultural productivity over the last 50 years could not have been achieved. Recent studies show that the irrigation needs to play a bigger role towards a goal of achieving a better agricultural productivity and also the national food security (Persaud and Stacey, 2003; Kumar 1998, GOI 1999; Bhaduri et al., 2012) [8, 5, 1] . Water is a necessary element for successful agriculture. Therefore, any water management policy must incorporate the varied aspects associated with irrigation, including the irrigation potential of the country and the type of irrigation facilities to be put in place. (Source: Envystats India, 2018, www.mospi.in). Irrigation Potential Created (IPC) is the aggregate gross area that can be irrigated annually by the quantity of water that could be made available by all the connected and completed works up to the end of the water courses or the last purpose within the water delivery system. Irrigation Potential Utilized (IPU): It is the total gross area actually irrigated by a project/scheme during the agricultural year under consideration. Ultimate Irrigation Potential (UIP): It is the total area that can be irrigated from a project in pre-planned year for the projected cropping pattern and assumed water allowance on its full development. Efforts have been made in the different Five-Year Plans to attain this potential through irrigation projects, which are generally classified as under: 1. Major project: It consists of huge surface water, storage reservoirs and flow diversion structures and covers area under irrigation is 10000 hectares. 2. Medium project: It coves area under irrigation between 10000 hectares and 2000 hectares. 3. Minor project: It is below 2000Ha and the source of water is either ground water or from wells or tube wells or surface water lifted by pumps or by gravity flow from tanks. The foremost vital increase has been created in potential because of ground (well) water irrigation development & additionally due to minor surface potential (GOI, 1999:477) [5] . Development of Irrigation under Plan in India: In the First Five Year Plan (1951‐ 56), the country embarked on a major irrigation programme. During the periods of the Second Five Year Plan (1956‐ 61), the Third Five Year Plan (1961‐ 66) and the three annual plans (1966‐ 69), new irrigation programmes were implemented. During the