The Coordinated Project on Irrigation Water Management (named after merger of AICRP on Water Management and AICRP on Groundwater Utilisation during XII Plan) was sanctioned by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on April 1, 1967 with three centres for three major river valley projects viz. Bhakra, Hirakud and Tungabhadra to conduct research on different aspects of water management and to develop practices and systems for efficient use of irrigation water commensurate with increased agricultural production and sustained soil productivity. During the Fourth Five Year Plan, the Coordinated Project on Soil Salinity, Irrigation, Drainage, Soil Science and Water Management (sanctioned during the later part of Third Five Year Plan) was merged with it expanding the jurisdiction of the new project namely “AICRP on Water Management and Soil Salinity” to 16 centres. During Fifth Five Year Plan, the sphere of the AICRP on Water Management and Soil Salinity project was further extended to 23 centres by merging it with another Fourth Plan Project “AICRP on New Cropping Patterns and Water Use in selected Irrigation Commands”.

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