3.2   Irrigation

. Irrigation Watering of agricultural plants through artificial means is called irrigation. Being a hot country with seasonal and irregular rainfall, it always needs irrigation to carry out agricultural activities during dry period. Sources of Irrigation In India, different sources of irrigation are used depending upon the topography, soils, rainfall, availability of surface or groundwater, nature of river (whether perennial or non- perennial), requirements of crops etc. The main sources of irrigation used in different parts of the country are Canal irrigation Well irrigation and Tank irrigation Area under Irrigation Canals % Tube wells % Tanks % Other wells % Other Sources % a) Canal Irrigation It is the second most important source of irrigation in our country. Canals are the effective source of irrigation in areas of low level relief, deep, fertile soils, perennial source of water and extensive command area. The canals are of two types: . Inundation Canals: In this, water is taken out directly from the rivers without making any kind of barrage or dam. Such canals are useful for the diversion of flood water from the rivers and remain operational during rainy season. . Perennial Canals: These are developed from perennial rivers by constructing barrage to regulate the flow of water. About percent of the canal irrigated area falls in the northern plains of India, India - Agriculture