Question

Describe the merits and demerits of well and tubewell irrigation in India

Answer 1

Hint: Irrigation is required for the crops to grow. It is a process of supplying water artificially to the soil. This technique is used in dry areas and areas with scanty rainfall.

Complete Answer:
Merits:
1. Tube well irrigation is the cheapest and the easiest method of irrigation. It is an excellent and affordable alternative available to small farmers. It is a reliable source of water during episodes of drought.
2. It provides water to the crops and helps them to grow. It increases agricultural productivity and helps the farmers to obtain a better yield. In addition to this, tube well water has several chemicals like nitrate, chloride, sulfate, etc which improves the fertility of the soil.
3. Wells is convenient to dig since the water table is close to the surface. It helps in irrigating large areas of agricultural land.
Demerits:
1. It is dependent on power for its upliftment. An erratic supply of power in the rural areas diminishes the availability of water for irrigation. The costs of construction, as well as, power supply are high, making the whole process sometimes difficult for the farmers.
2. Careless use of the groundwater can make the groundwater reserves depleted. The depletion of the groundwater can stop irrigation and thus make the land unfit for agriculture. 3. Using groundwater as the only source can be harmful to the environment.
Areas with brackish water and no sweet water cannot make use of tube well irrigation.

Note: In India, there are more than 50 lakh tube wells users. It helped in making the green revolution a success. States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, have large areas covered by tubewell irrigation. It helped in making the farmers independent and less dependent upon the Government for aid.