The Irrigation Department of Government of Maharashtra has a glorious history of Irrigation over last 150 years. The State of Maharashtra came into existence in the year 1960 after bifurcation of old Bombay State into Maharashtra and Gujrat. In the year 1960,  the Public Works Department was divided into Irrigation Department and Building and Communication Department. The Irrigation Department is  mainly entrusted with the work of Investigation, Planning, Design, Construction and maintenance of:

• Multipurpose Dams
• Canals and canal structures
• Hydro-electric Projects
• Lift Irrigation schemes

Irrigation

Irrigation has a prime importance in the strategy designed to increase agricultural production. The development of irrigation assumes great importance as more than 33% area of the state is prone to frequent droughts. The citizens are well conscious about the importance of water and its benefits.

The rainfall in the state varies from 400 to 6000 mm. The average rainfall for the state as a whole is 1067 mm, and the major portion of the rainfall is received during the monsoon (June to September). The topography of the land in the State is also uneven with steep ground slopes due to which narrow strips of land on both banks of the river were commanded resulting in longer canals . The need for storage in the areas with heavy rainfall and conveyance of water through canals in uneven terrains to irrigate areas with deficient rainfall. renders the irrigation works in the state costlier than those in north India.