Question

"Without irrigation, development of agriculture is difficult in India." Clarify the statement by giving two reasons.

Answer 1

Without irrigation, development of agriculture is difficult in India because:

(i) Rainfall in India is highly irregular in place and time, marked by wide fluctuations. The rainfall is not regular throughout the rainy season leading to water scarcity and withering of crops.

(ii) In India, the distribution of rainfall is uneven. The Western Ghats and eastern India receive heavy rainfall whereas Saurashtra-Kutch region, parts of Punjab and Haryana and western half of Rajasthan receive scanty rainfall.