Q.“Dependence on erratic monsoon is still a big problem of Indian agriculture.” Support the statement.

Concept: Rainfed agriculture and irrigation coverage in India.

Indian agriculture remains heavily reliant on the southwest monsoon, which is notoriously erratic in its onset, duration, and distribution. Over half of India’s net sown area is still rainfed, meaning farmers have no assured irrigation.

This dependence creates severe problems. A delayed or deficient monsoon delays sowing, reduces crop yields, and can lead to drought, causing income loss and rural distress. Conversely, excessive or untimely rainfall damages standing crops and causes floods. Because the monsoon is unpredictable, farmers cannot plan inputs like seeds and fertilisers efficiently, leading to low productivity and high risk. Even today, a poor monsoon directly impacts agricultural GDP a …

The statement points to a structural weakness in Indian agriculture: the gap between potential irrigation and actual irrigation. Even after decades of dams, canals, and tube wells, over half of India’s net sown area depends entirely on rain. That means every kharif season — and by extension the rabi season, which depends on soil moisture and reservoir levels — is a gamble on the monsoon.

Let’s break down why this dependence remains a “big problem.”

1. Low and uneven irrigation coverage. Only about 50–55% of India’s net sown area has access to irrigation. The rest — roughly 45–50% — is rainfed. This is not a uniform problem: states like Punjab and Haryana have over 90% irrigation, while large parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and the Deccan plateau have less than 30%. For the rainfed farmer, a bad monsoon means no crop.

2. The monsoon itself is erratic. The Indian monsoon is not a steady tap; it varies in onset, duration, and distribution. A delay of two weeks in June can push back sowing, which then pushes harvest into a drier period. A break in rainfall during the critical flowering stage of a crop can cut yields by half. And the spatial distribution is uneven — one district may flood while another 50 km away faces drought. This variability is the core of the problem: you cannot plan with certainty.

3. Groundwater overuse is not a solution. In regions that do have irrigation, much of it comes from groundwater. But over-extraction has led to falling water tables — especially in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. Tube wells run dry, and the cost of deepening them or buying diesel for pumps eats into profits. So even “irrigated” areas are not immune to monsoon failure; they just feel the pain a season or two later.

4. Crop choice and income are distorted. Because the monsoon is unreliable, farmers often play it safe — planting hardy, low-value crops like pulses or millets in rainfed areas, or over-planting water-guzzling crops like sugarcane and paddy where irrigation exists. Neither strategy is optimal. The first keeps incomes low; the second depletes water and invites debt when the monsoon fails to recharge the aquifers. …