Expansion of Irrigation facilities, along with consolidation of the existing systems, has been the main part of the strategy for increasing production of food grains. With sustained and systematic development of irrigation, the irrigation potential through major, medium and minor irrigation projects has increased from 22.6 million hectares (m.ha.) in 1951, when the process of planning began in India, to about 98.84 m.ha. at the end of the year 2004-05. Plan-wise irrigation potential created and utilised through major, medium and minor irrigation projects in the country is given in the following table :

Plan Period	Potential (cumulative) created(Mha)	Potential (cumulative)utilised (Mha)
Pre-Plan period	22.60	22.60
First Plan (1951-56)	26.26	25.04
Second Plan (1956-61)	29.08	27.80
Third Plan (1961-66)	33.57	32.17
Annual Plans (1966-69)	37.10	35.75
Fourth Plan (1969-74)	44.20	42.19
Fifth Plan (1974-78)	52.02	48.46
Annual Plans (1978-80)	56.61	52.64
Sixth Plan (1980-85)	65.22	58.82
Seventh Plan (1985-90)	76.53	68.59
Annual Plans (1990-92)	81.09	72.86
Eighth Plan (1992-97)	86.26	77.24
Ninth Plan (1997-2002)	93.95	80.06
Tenth Plan (upto 2004-05)	98.84	83.56