West Bengal is a humid state where little irrigation is practiced. Only south-western part of the state needs some irrigation. The state has 37.5 per cent of its net irrigated area under canal irrigation. Important canal systems are as follows:
1. Damodar Project Canals-Under the Damodar Valley Corporation a 692 meter long and 12 meter high barrage has been built up from which two canals have been taken out. The right bank canal is 89 km long and it irrigates about 4.2 lakh hectares of land in Hugli, Asansol and Barddhaman districts. The left bank canal is 137 km long and is used for navigation.
2. Mayurakshi Project Canals-a barrage (640 meter long and 47.24 meter high) has been constructed across the Mayurakshi River, a tributary of the Hugli River, near Marsanjor (Birbhum) in 1951 from which two canals have been constructed which irrigate 2.51 lakh hectares of land in Birbhum, Murshidabad and Barddhaman districts.
3. Kangsabati Project Canals-three barrages have been constructed over the Kangsabati and Kumari rivers to lay down 1,305 long canals which irrigate 3.84 hectares of agricultural land in Bankura and Medinipur districts.
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4. Medinipur Canal-this is a 520 km long diversion canal taken out from Kaise River (near Medinipur) which irrigates 50,000 hectares of land in Medinipur and Haora districts. It was completed in 1888.
5. Edon Canal-it is a 54 km long canal taken out from the Damodar River in 1938 which provides irrigation to 10,000 hectares of land in Barddhaman districts.