Sources of Irrigation and Agricultural Development in India

Agricultural production and efficiency largely depend upon the inputs applied and the methods adopted. Water is another basic factor in agriculture next only to land. Only rainfall is the natural source of water in agriculture. But rainfall is the most unreliable and is marked by wide variations in different parts and also variation from year to year in its quantity, incidence, and duration. Therefore, only artificial supply of water through irrigation is the way to overcome the problem of deficiency of water. Irrigation water comes from two sources: surface water and ground water. Surface water is provided by the flowing water of rivers or the still water of tanks, ponds, lakes, and artificial reservoirs. The surface water is carried to the filed by canals, distributaries, and channels. Ground water is tapped by sinking wells where drought animals, diesel or electric power is utilized to take out water. In India canals, tanks, wells including tube wells are the principal sources of irrigation.