- The total area of Rajasthan is 3,42,239 Sq. Km.
- Agriculture is the main occupation in Rajasthan.
- Agriculture production is mainly depends upon South-East monsoon rain.
- The rainfall behavour generally remains abnormal being irregular, unever and uncertain scanty with drought period and occasional local floods.
- Average rainfall- 58.64 Cms.
- The process of weathering and disintegration coupled with sunb-shine and insolatuion demand for the need of irrigation in state.
- The irrigation facilities available are neither equally distributed in the state nor fully dependable. Chambal, Banas, Mahi and all other rivers add prosperity to this region.
- There is need of judicious implementation of minor, medium and major irrigation schemes.
Sources of Irrigation:
- Wells and Tube wells:
- Wells and Tube well play an important role in agriculture in Rajasthan
- Districts – Tonk, Alwar, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jaipur, Bhilwara & Jhunjhunu.
- Out of total irrigated are 67.7% is irrigated by wells & tube wells in the eastern plains and South-Eastern plateau region where water table is very high ranging from 10 to 20 W.
- Well irrigation has several advantages over canal irrigation in many areas.
- The crop pattern is better developed in areas, irrigated by wells due to regular supply of water.
- Tank Irrigation:
- Tank irrigation facility is totally dependent on rainfall.
- Districts – Bharatpur, Dholpur, Pali
- All three districts accounts for more than 50% of the tank irrigated are in Rajasthan.
- Canal Irrigation:
- District – Ganganagar
- In Ganganagar district all the irrigation is done by canals.
- The temperature is high in Mewar plains which causes high
- evaporation and rock stream does not provide natural reservoirs
- All these factors result in lesser development of canals in this region