With approximately 68.4 million ha of net irrigated area, India ranks first in the world in terms of irrigated area. However, water use efficiency (WUE) in irrigated agriculture is very low, with approximately 40% for surface irrigation and 60% for groundwater irrigation. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the overall water use efficiency for irrigated agriculture in developing countries averages 38%. It is seen that efficient canal systems perform with the WUE in the range of 95 to 97.5% at the end of the main canal to 47 to 57% after field application. A 10% improvement in WUE can add approximately 14 million ha of additional irrigation in India. The major impediments in canal irrigation systems are lack of proper operation and maintenance, incomplete distribution system, nonâ€Âcompletion of command area development, changes in cropping pattern, and diversion of irrigated land to other purposes. Around 40% of the gap is due to poor maintenance and 25 to 40% is due to an incomplete distribution system. Cropping patterns and land-use change accounted for 15 to 20% of the gap. Thus, in order to make irrigated agriculture more efficient, there is a need for a systematic scientific approach. With this background, since the inception of the institute, the canal water management program has been engaged in various research projects focusing on location-specific improved irrigation delivery mechanisms and diversified crop plans to achieve enhanced crop and water productivity. A few promising research technologies/activities developed under this program are listed below. Future activities under the program include the development of a canal automation system and Smart Irrigation Water Management and IoT-enabled Sensor Based Smart Irrigation Management System.

• Water Users Group Dynamics And Mobilization For Participatory Irrigation Management
• Irrigation-Induced Soil Degradation In The Mula Command Area Of Western Maharashtra
• Institutional Arrangements And Linkage Mechanisms For Irrigation Management In Odisha
• Technologies For Improving Farm-Level Water Productivity In Canal Commands
• Impact Assessment Of Rehabilitation And Irrigation Management Transfer In The Minor Irrigation Systems Of Odisha
• System Of Rice Intensification-A Resource Conservation Technology
• Integrated SRI For Enhancing Income Under Rainfed Condition
• Performance Enhancement Of Minor Irrigation System Through Secondary Storage And Multiple-Use Management
• Development Of Alternative Canal Delivery Schedule For Enhanced Water Use Efficiency And Crop Performance
• Participatory Water Management And Integrated Farming In Kuanria Medium Irrigation Command (Odisha)
• Development Of Irrigation Infrastructures In Gurlijhore And Nagpur Minor Irrigation Systems (Odisha) For Enhanced Crop And Water Productivity
• Improving Economic Water Productivity To Enhance Resilience In Sina Medium And Kukadi Major Commands In Maharashtra

• Water Demand Estimation In A Canal Command Area Using Machine Learning
• Evaluating Sub-Surface Drip Irrigation In Maize-Based Cropping Sequence
• Precise Irrigation Under Conservation Agriculture For Improving Water Productivity In Intensive Rice-Based Cropping System Of Eastern India
• Developing Efficient Water Management Strategies Through Resource Conservation Technologies In Irrigated Maize-Sunflower Cropping System
• Impact Of Water Stress On Growth And Physiology Of Rice Under Different Crop Management Practices
• Management

• Automated Canal Irrigation System For Efficient And Smart Irrigation Water Management
• IoT Enabled Sensor Based Smart Irrigation Management System
• Enhancing Economic Water Productivity In Irrigation Canal Commands
• Enhancing Land And Water Productivity Through Integrated Farming System