Describe the features of the three major means of irrigation used in india
Answers
Answer:
Means of Irrigation
1. Tanks :
Rain water collects in the low lands in the form of tanks and ponds. This is perhaps the oldest means of irrigation in India. This means of irrigation is used in the Deccan Plateau and in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The land is uneven and rocky. It can store water for irrigation. Huge tanks have been constructed for irrigating the land. About 12% of the agricultural land is being irrigated by tanks in India.
2. Wells :
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Most of the rain water flows down the rivers and streams. Some of the water gets soaked by the soil. It goes on collecting on the hard rocky bed under the soil. This underground water is brought to the surface by wells and tube-wells. A large and deep hole is made in the earth’s surface upto the water level. These are known as artesian wells. The water collects in the wells.
This water is used for drinking as well as for irrigating the land. This water is drawn out of the well by means of a pulley, wheel or lever. Various names have been given to the wells with these devices. Persian wheel was used for irrigating the fields for a long time. It is an old device now.
3. Tube-wells :
This is the means of irrigation of about 40% land in the plain areas. A deep bore is made in the earth’s surface upto the water table. A pipe or a tube is fixed in this bore. An electric pump-set or a diesel pump-set is used to pump out water through this tube or pipe. It is known as a tube-well. This is the most commonly used means of irrigation in the Gangetic Plain or the Northern Fertile Plain. The underground water is available there because the land is even and soft. A bore hole can be made easily and electricity is available. Tube-wells are mostly used for irrigation in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.