Indian agriculture is mainly dependent on the monsoons. The irregular or scarcity of rainfall often results in crop failure. To overcome the problem, different types of irrigation systems are in practice in India for the supply of water in agricultural fields. Wells, canals, river lift systems, tanks, etc. are used for irrigation. Some new initiatives like rainwater harvesting and watershed management are being used.

For this small check-dams are constructed to stop the rainwater from flowing and lead to an increase in groundwater levels. The different types of irrigation systems are:

• Wells: There are two types of wells – dug wells and tube wells. In a dug well, water is collected from water-bearing strata. Tube wells can tap water from the deeper strata. From these wells, water is lifted by pumps for irrigation.
• Canals: In this system canals receive water from one or more reservoirs or from rivers. The main canal is divided into branch canals having further distributed to irrigate fields.
• River Lift Systems: In this system, water is directly drawn from the rivers for supplementing irrigation in areas close to rivers.
• Tanks: These are small storage reservoirs, which intercept and store the run-off of smaller catchment areas.