Irrigation projects with a Culturable Command Area (CCA) between 2,000 and 10,000 hectares are classified as medium projects and those with CCA of more than 10,000 hectares as major projects. The expenditure incurred on major and medium projects and the irrigation potential created during the various plan periods are given in table below. At the beginning of the Tenth Plan, there were 162 major projects with a spill over cost of Rs. 140968.79 crore, 221 medium projects with a spillover cost of Rs. 12786 crore, and 85 Extension, Renovation and Modernisation projects, with a spillover cost of Rs. 21256.50 crore.

Major and Medium Irrigation Projects (Expenditure Incurred and Potential Created)

Period	Outlay/expenditure (Rs crore)	Potential created (mha)	Cumulative (mha)
Pre-Plan period	Not available	9.70	9.70
First Plan (1951-56)	376	2.50	12.20
Second Plan (1956-61)	380	2.13	14.33
Third Plan (1961-66)	576	2.24	16.57
Annual Plans (1966-69)	430	1.53	18.10
Fourth Plan (1969-74)	1,242	2.60	20.70
Fifth Plan (1974-78)	2,516	4.02	24.72
Annual Plans (1978-80)	2,079	1.89	26.61
Sixth Plan (1980-85)	7,369	1.09	27.70
Seventh Plan (1985-90)	11,107	2.22	29.92
Annual Plans (1990-92)	5,459	0.82	30.74
Eighth Plan (1992-97)	21,669	2.22	32.96
Ninth Plan (1997-2002)	42,968	4.10	37.06
Tenth Plan outlay (2002-2007)	71,213	6.50(Target)*	43.56
* Provisional and are subject to change.