Q.Explain the sources of irrigation in India and discuss the importance of irrigation for Indian agriculture.

Irrigation matters in India because a large share of farmland still depends on the uncertain timing and quantity of monsoon rainfall.

India draws irrigation water from several sources. Canals carry water from rivers or reservoirs through a network of channels and are among the largest sources of irrigated area in many regions -- examples include the Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan and the Narmada (Sardar Sarovar) canal system, which irrigates large parts of Gujarat. Wells and tube-wells draw groundwater, either through ordinary dug wells or mechanically powered tube-wells, and are widely used across the Indo-Gangetic plain as well as in states such as Gujarat. Tanks are small reservoirs created by building a bund across a stream, and they are especially common in the peninsular plateau region. Finally, other/micro-irrigation methods, particularly drip and sprinkler irrigation, are increasingly promoted for their far greater water-use efficiency compared with traditional flood irrigation. …

Students sometimes list only the sources without explaining why irrigation matters, or vice versa; a complete answer to a two-part question ne …