Most of India’s irrigation happens through pumping of groundwater. (Source: Thinkstock) Post-2000, India has witnessed some glorious irrigation successes and disastrous failures. Politics has played a part in both. Throughout history, India’s rulers and overlords have used irrigation to consolidate political power. The BJP-led regime now and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) earlier, have also been doing it, but in sharply different ways. UPA chief ministers used irrigation to create a spoils system. Soon after taking over as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister in 2004, YS Rajasekhara Reddy launched a Rs 1.86 lakh crore Jala Yagnam programme to irrigate 12 million acres of...
↧