Canal Irrigation and the Conundrum of Flood Protection: The Failure of the Orissa Scheme of 1863 in Eastern India
Author(s)
D’Souza, Rohan
Abstract
The Orissa Scheme of 1863 provided canal irrigation and flood protection for the Orissa delta on the east coast of India, a confluence of three major rivers prone to seasonal flooding. The Madras Irrigation and Canal Company, relying on British private capital, came up with a revenue-producing scheme approved by the government in 1863. Construction began that year with seven weirs and several irrigation lines. However, revenues never reached promised levels of return. Through the 1870’s, the British colonial government tried to thwart use of natural irrigation and the older embankment system. They also prosecuted for unpaid use of canal irrigation. A canal commission was set up in 1885 to investigate the lack of revenue and found that the system was plagued by organizational problems.
