Structural Changes in Irrigation Vis-à-vis Cropping Pattern in Andhra Pradesh, India: An Economic Analysis

The inherent dynamism within a system leads to structural changes of that system. Over the past, the structural changes that are occurring in the world economies are affecting the subsystems one or another way. The development of a nation like India reflects from the development of its states. The current study focuses on the structural shifts within primary sector of Andhra Pradesh (includes Telangana State’s data) more precisely, economic linkages between irrigation and between the dynamic changes in cropping pattern. It also explores the implications of dynamic changes happened in state’s agriculture after green revolution. The shifts from period 1970 – 2020 are studied using secondary data. Growth rate and conventional analyses (percentages and averages) are used to study the effects of shifts in irrigation on cropping pattern of the state. The results exhibit, declining ecofriendly surface water irrigation systems (tanks) by twofold compensated with increased extraction of groundwater resources by fivefold. As a consequence, decline in net cropped area and cropping pattern shifts adopting mono-cropping or double cropping under rice as major crop followed by cash crops or pulse crops under groundwater and canal systems of irrigation aroused. While coarse cereals have lost prominence, cash crops like chilly (93 per cent) have gained importance under irrigation. The prominence of livestock sector in the state can be realized as net irrigated area under fodder crops improved to 50.61 per cent over the decades. Overall improvement in net irrigated area with canal and groundwater systems of irrigation is current scenario of the state. Pressurized irrigation technologies should be promoted to maintain sustainability of tank irrigation structures. Cropping patterns including coarse cereals should be adopted for maintaining nutritional security. Adoption of reclamation measures to attain ecological balance between groundwater and surface water irrigation sources.