Question

Where is canal irrigation mostly practiced in India and why?

Answer 1

Hint: 1.It is considered to be an important source of irrigation upto the 1960s.
2.From the year 1970s it is considered to be the second most important source of irrigation.
3.At first place comes the wells and the tube wells.

Complete answer:
Canals in India are regarded as a prominent source of irrigation in areas of low level relief, deep fertile soils, perennial source of water and an extensive area. This implies that the major concentration of canal irrigation in the northern plains of India consisting of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Orissa and Tamil Nadu.
In India there are mainly two types of canals – first the inundation canals which are naturally taken out from the rivers without any regulating system and provides irrigation mainly in the rainy season when floods occur in the river and there is excess of water. The second type of canal is Perennial canals which have to be taken off from the river by constructing a barrage across the river.

Some of the important advantages of a canal irrigation are:
1.It saves the crops from the conditions of drought which in turn increases the farm production.
2.Canals while flowing carry sediments from the rivers and deposit them in the agricultural fields which adds fertility to the soil.
3.It is also a cheap source of irrigation for the long term purpose.

Note: The disadvantages of a canal are:
1.It can be operated only in the plain areas.
2.It also leads to the problem of water logging as it soaks the water into the ground.
3.Excessive water flow can raise the ground water level.
4.During the rainy season the canals can overflow and bring floods in the surroundings.