Mandya District is located in the South Indian Peninsula on the Mysore plateau, between 76° 19' and 77° 20' East Longitude and 12° 13' and 13° 04' North Latitude. It is bounded to the north by Hassan and Tumkur districts, to the east by Tumkur and Bangalore districts, to the south by Mysore district, and to the west by Hassan and Mysore districts.

Mandya is the 19th largest district in Karnataka, covering a total area of 191,976 square kilometres. Nagamangala, K.R. Pet, Mandya, Malavalli, Maddur, Pandavapura, and Srirangapatanna are the district's seven taluks. Notably, Nagamangala has the largest geographical area at 1,044.7 square kilometres, accounting for approximately 21% of Mandya's total area.

Despite having a higher population density, Mandya taluk ranks fourth in terms of area, covering 699.06 square kilometres. Srirangapatna, on the other hand, has the smallest area, accounting for only 6.9% of the district's total area.

• To know the Irrigation Scenario in Mandya District.

Wells, tanks, canals, and other traditional irrigation sources are used in the study area. The various modes of irrigation are distinguished by changes in their ranking order. Well irrigation and canal irrigation predominate in the Mandya district, irrigating a large area. Despite the fact that the region is prone to drought, micro-irrigation systems such as drip irrigation have recently been introduced, holding the key to agro-based development.

Mandya district, located in southern Karnataka, relies heavily on canals and wells for irrigation, accounting for 90.9% of total irrigation in 1991. Both are, unfortunately, vulnerable to monsoon rains. In the Mandya district, efforts are being made to connect tanks with the Cauvery canals, particularly in the Maddur and Malavalli Taluks. The shift in farmers' attitudes towards water management is critical for the district's agro-economic development, as discussed later in this investigation.

Figure 2

Lift irrigation systems used to use springs, but with the introduction of tube wells, both springs and traditional open wells have vanished from the study area. This type of irrigation can only be sustained with effective rain harvesting for agriculture and efficient water management.

Canal irrigation covered approximately 83.2% (82,799 hectares) of the district's net irrigated area in 1991, ranking first. Despite an increase in area to 84,867 hectares in 2001, the percentage fell to 79.4%. The area increased to 90,172 hectares in 2017, but the percentage decreased to 70.9%.

Well irrigation covered approximately 7.7% (7,709 hectares) in 1991, ranking second, and increased significantly to 13.3% (14,232 hectares) in 2001. Well irrigation had increased to 16.6% (21,110 hectares) by 2017.

Tank irrigation fell from 7.5% (7,448 hectares) and third place in 1991 to 6.5% (6,941 hectares) in 2001. However, after recovering from siltation and encroachment by other economic activities, it increased to 11.6% (14,654 hectares) in 2017.

Other irrigation sources have not seen significant development. Other sources contributed only 1.6% (1,607 hectares) of total irrigated area in 1991, 0.8% (912 hectares) in 2001, and 0.9% (1,252 hectares) in 2017.

Canals, which originate at the KRS dam, provide a vital water supply for fields and tanks in the study areas. The KRS dam is the district's primary canal irrigation development, with sub-canals distributing water to major tanks and agricultural fields. Canal irrigation in this region has changed significantly between the study periods of 1991, 2001, and 2017. The table depicts the taluk-wise distribution of canal irrigation area and percentage. Notably, the canal-irrigated area of the district increased from 82,799 hectares in 1991 to 90,172 hectares in 2017. Mandya taluk has the highest proportion of canal irrigation, while Nagamangala, Pandavapura, and Srirangarattana taluks lag behind.

Despite a decline following the construction of the KRS dam, tank irrigation continues to play an important role in this semi-arid region. Tanks continue to be important, particularly in areas where canal water has not reached the fields. The district had approximately 630 major tanks in 2017, irrigating 14,654 hectares, up from 7,448 hectares in 1991. Due to topographical conditions, the taluks of K.R.Pet, Maddur, and Nagamangala have the most tanks. While tank irrigation decreased from 1991 to 2001, it rebounded to 14,654 hectares in 2017, with the exception of Nagamangala taluk, which experienced a decrease due to an increase in well irrigation.

In the Mandya district, well irrigation has emerged as a major source, employing traditional lifts such as Charsa, rent, and kapali. With 47,559 wells observed in 2017, the transition from open wells to tube wells has accelerated. In 2017, this source irrigated 21,110 hectares, an increase from 7,709 hectares in 1991. The scarcity of tank and canal irrigation correlates with the dominance of well irrigation. The highest percentages of well irrigation were recorded in Malavalli and K.R. Pet taluks in 2017, while the lowest percentages were recorded in Srirangangapattana and Nagamangala taluks.

In addition to canals, wells, and tanks, other methods of irrigation, such as lift irrigation by streams, are used. Lifts use electric pumps near riverbanks to draw water from rivers and canals and distribute it through small channels or pipelines. Other irrigation area decreased from 1,607 hectares in 1991 to 1,252 hectares in 2017.