Irrigation and Canals 


Q. No. 1. With reference to micro-irrigation, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE Prelims, 2011)

  1. Fertilizer/nutrient loss can be reduced.
  2. It is the only means of irrigation in dry land farming.
  3. In some areas of farming, receding of groundwater level can be checked.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 3

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 

Explanation:

● Micro-irrigation means applying water in small, controlled quantities close to the crop root zone rather than flooding the entire field. The two principal systems are drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation, although their precise suitability differs by crop, terrain and soil.

● In conventional surface irrigation, part of the applied fertilizer may move away from the active root zone through runoff or deep percolation. In micro-irrigation, water and soluble nutrients can be delivered more precisely. When fertilizer is supplied through irrigation water, the practice is known as fertigation.

● Because the amount, timing and location of application can be controlled, fertilizer-use efficiency can improve and nutrient losses can decline. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

● Dryland agriculture fundamentally refers to cultivation under conditions of limited rainfall and moisture availability. It does not mean that micro-irrigation is its only possible irrigation method.

● Depending on water availability and local conditions, supplemental irrigation may come from tanks, wells, farm ponds, harvested rainwater, sprinklers, drip systems or other sources. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

● Over-irrigation and inefficient flood irrigation increase groundwater withdrawals for a given crop-water requirement. Micro-irrigation can reduce the amount of water required per unit of irrigated area.

● Therefore, where groundwater extraction is primarily driven by irrigation and micro-irrigation genuinely substitutes for more water-intensive application, it can help slow groundwater decline.

● Groundwater response will still depend on recharge, crop choice, pumping intensity and expansion of irrigated area. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Hence, option (c) is correct.

Q. No. 2. Which of the following is/are the advantage/advantages of practising drip irrigation? (UPSC CSE Prelims, 2016)

  1. Reduction in weed
  2. Reduction in soil salinity
  3. Reduction in soil erosion

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) None of the above is an advantage of practising drip irrigation

Answer: (c) 

Explanation:

● In drip irrigation, water is supplied slowly through emitters directly to or near the plant root zone. Unlike flood irrigation, the entire field surface does not have to be wetted.

● Because much of the inter-row area can remain comparatively dry, germination and growth of weeds outside the wetting zone are suppressed. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

● Drip irrigation does not automatically reduce soil salinity. The salinity response is more complex.

● Drip irrigation can reduce excessive application and may permit efficient management of moderately saline water, but dissolved salts can accumulate at the margins of the wetted zone. Periodic leaching may still be necessary.

● Therefore “reduction in soil salinity” cannot be treated as an inherent universal advantage of drip irrigation. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

● Water is applied slowly rather than flowing rapidly across the land surface. Consequently, there is much less runoff capable of detaching and transporting soil particles.

● This is especially useful on erosion-prone slopes and in loose soils when properly designed. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

● Drip versus sprinkler: Drip supplies water near individual root zones through emitters; sprinkler irrigation distributes water through the air in a manner resembling rainfall. Sprinklers are particularly useful over sandy soils, undulating terrain and many closely spaced crops, while drip is especially efficient for orchards, vegetables and row crops.

Hence, option (c) is correct.

Q. No. 3. What are the benefits of implementing the Integrated Watershed Development Programme? (UPSC CSE Prelims, 2014)

  1. Prevention of soil runoff
  2. Linking the country's perennial rivers with seasonal rivers
  3. Rainwater harvesting and recharge of groundwater levels
  4. Regeneration of natural vegetation

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (c) 

Explanation:

● A watershed is an area from which precipitation drains toward a common outlet such as a stream or river channel.

● Watershed development therefore manages land, water and vegetation together within a drainage unit rather than treating irrigation merely as delivery of canal water.

● Measures such as contour bunds, check dams, vegetative barriers, afforestation, pasture development and treatment of drainage lines reduce the velocity of surface runoff.

● Slower runoff means less detachment and transport of soil. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

● River interlinking is an entirely different concept involving transfers of water between river basins through reservoirs and canals. It is not an inherent objective of watershed development. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

● Check dams, percolation structures, farm ponds and improved vegetation increase infiltration and retain rainfall for longer periods.

● This can increase local groundwater recharge and improve soil-moisture availability. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

● Reduction of erosion, improved soil moisture and protection from uncontrolled runoff facilitate recovery of grasses, shrubs and trees. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Hence, option (c) is correct.

Q. No. 4. Consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE Prelims, 2014)

Programme/Project — Ministry

  1. Drought-Prone Area Programme — Ministry of Agriculture
  2. Desert Development Programme — Ministry of Environment and Forests
  3. National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas — Ministry of Rural Development

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) None

Answer: (d) 

Explanation:

● The Drought-Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) was associated with the Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development. Hence, pair 1 is incorrect.

● The Desert Development Programme (DDP) was also handled through the Ministry of Rural Development rather than the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Hence, pair 2 is incorrect.

● The National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) belonged to the Ministry of Agriculture, not the Ministry of Rural Development. Hence, pair 3 is incorrect.

Hence, option (d) is correct.

Q. No. 5. Given below are an Assertion and a Reason: (U.P. Lower Subordinate Prelims, 2015)

Assertion (A): One of the major sources of irrigation in Peninsular India is pond/tank irrigation.

Reason (R): Most of the rivers in the Peninsular region are seasonal.

Code:

(a) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) explains (A)

(b) Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) does not explain (A)

(c) (A) is correct, but (R) is false

(d) (A) is false, but (R) is correct

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

● Tank irrigation has historically been particularly important in many parts of Peninsular India because its physical geography is well suited to storing runoff in natural depressions and small artificial reservoirs.

● The peninsula contains extensive hard crystalline rocks, relatively shallow and uneven soils in many areas and an undulating plateau surface. Small valleys and depressions can therefore be bunded to retain monsoon runoff. Therefore, Assertion (A) is correct.

● Many Peninsular rivers and especially smaller streams show large seasonal variation in discharge because they depend heavily on monsoonal rainfall.

● A perennial canal supply is consequently more difficult in many smaller basins than in the snow- and glacier-fed plus monsoon-fed northern river plains. Therefore, Reason (R) is correct.

● The seasonal nature of runoff is indeed one reason water has historically been stored in tanks for later use; the hard-rock, undulating physiography is another major reason.

Therefore, Reason (R) correctly explains Assertion (A).

Hence, option (a) is correct.

Q. No. 6. Match List-I with List-II and choose the correct answer: (UPPSC Prelims, 2024)

List-I — Canals

A. Upper Bari Doab Canal

B. Sirhind Canal

C. Gurgaon Canal

D. Indira Gandhi Canal

List-II — Rivers

  1. Sutlej
  2. Yamuna
  3. Sutlej, Ravi, Beas
  4. Ravi

(a) A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2

(b) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4

(c) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

(d) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4

Answer: (c) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

Explanation:

● Upper Bari Doab Canal — Ravi.  The name itself provides a geographical clue: the Bari Doab is the interfluve associated with the Beas and Ravi river system, while the canal takes off from the Ravi. Thus, A-4 is correct.

● Sirhind Canal — Sutlej.  It is a major Punjab canal system taking water from the Sutlej. Thus, B-1 is correct.

● Gurgaon Canal — Yamuna.  It provides irrigation toward Haryana/Gurugram-region areas and belongs to the Yamuna irrigation system. Thus, C-2 is correct.

● Indira Gandhi Canal — Sutlej, Ravi and Beas system. Its physical diversion point is Harike Barrage, downstream of the Sutlej–Beas confluence. However, because of the integrated Ravi–Beas–Sutlej water system, the PYQ associates it with all three rivers. Thus, D-3 is correct.

Final matching: A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3.

Hence, option (c) is correct.

Q. No. 7. Which one of the following statements is not true? (UPSC CSE Prelims, 2000)

(a) Ghaggar's water is utilised in the Indira Gandhi Canal

(b) Narmada rises from the Amarkantak region

(c) Nizam Sagar is situated on the Manjra River

(d) Penganga is a tributary of the Godavari

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

● The Indira Gandhi Canal is supplied through the Sutlej–Beas–Ravi water system and takes off from Harike. Ghaggar water is not its source. Hence, option (a) is incorrect and therefore is the answer.

● Narmada rises from the Amarkantak plateau/region in Madhya Pradesh and flows westward through a rift-valley setting between the Vindhya and Satpura systems. Hence, option (b) is correct.

● Nizam Sagar is constructed on the Manjra, which is a tributary of the Godavari. Hence, option (c) is correct.

● Penganga belongs to the Godavari drainage system through its connection with the Wardha–Pranhita system. Hence, option (d) is correct.

Hence, option (a) is correct.

Q. No. 8. Pattiseema Project is associated with the integration of which of the following rivers? (67th BPSC Prelims, 2022)

(a) Krishna and Kaveri

(b) Krishna and Godavari

(c) Godavari and Mahanadi

(d) Ganga and Brahmaputra

(e) None of the above/More than one of the above

Answer: (b) 

Explanation:

● The Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project is associated with transferring water from the Godavari river system toward the Krishna river system in Andhra Pradesh.

● A lift irrigation project differs from a purely gravity-flow canal because water has to be mechanically raised to a higher elevation before it can move through the conveyance system.

● Option (b) is correct. Godavari and Krishna are the two major east-flowing Peninsular river systems involved.

Hence, option (b) is correct.

Q. No. 9. Which of the following canal systems irrigates areas of Bihar? (60th–62nd BPSC Prelims, 2016)

(a) Upper Ganga Canal

(b) Triveni Canal

(c) Sharda Canal

(d) Eastern Yamuna Canal

(e) None of the above/More than one of the above

Answer: (b) 

Explanation:

● The Triveni Canal is associated with the Gandak irrigation system and serves parts of north-western Bihar.

● The Gandak enters the plains near the Indo-Nepal border region and is a major tributary of the Ganga.

● Option (a), Upper Ganga Canal, is incorrect. It originates from the Ganga at the Haridwar/Bhimgoda region and principally serves western Uttar Pradesh.

● Option (b), Triveni Canal, is correct.

● Option (c), Sharda Canal, is incorrect. It belongs primarily to the Uttar Pradesh irrigation system originating near Banbasa on the Sharda/Sarda.

● Option (d), Eastern Yamuna Canal, is incorrect. It serves the western Uttar Pradesh–Yamuna Doab region.

Hence, option (b) is correct.

Q. No. 10. In which of the following States is the area under tube-well irrigation the largest? (UPPCS Prelims, 2016)

(a) Bihar

(b) Haryana

(c) Uttar Pradesh

(d) Punjab

Answer: (c) 

Explanation:

● Tube-well irrigation is especially favourable where the following conditions combine:

  1. thick, permeable alluvial deposits;
  2. extensive groundwater aquifers;
  3. relatively level land;
  4. widespread electricity/diesel pumping infrastructure;
  5. intensive agriculture requiring assured irrigation.

● Uttar Pradesh, especially its Gangetic plain, possesses extensive alluvial aquifers and a very large cultivated area.

● Consequently, among the listed States, its absolute tube-well-irrigated area has historically been very large.

● Option (c), Uttar Pradesh, is correct.

Q. No. 11. The Garland Canal System in India was proposed by: (UPPCS Prelims, 1999)

(a) K. L. Rao

(b) Dinshaw J. Dastur

(c) M. Visvesvaraya

(d) Y. K. Alagh

Answer: (b) 

Explanation:

  1. The Garland Canal System, also known as the Dastur Plan, was a proposed large-scale inter-basin water-transfer scheme by Capt. Dinshaw J. Dastur. It envisaged interconnected canals, reservoirs and pipelines to redistribute water across India.
  2. K. L. Rao is associated with a separate proposal for national water-grid/inter-basin transfer, and therefore option (a) is incorrect.
  3. M. Visvesvaraya was a prominent engineer and water-resource planner, but he was not associated with the Garland Canal proposal. Hence, option (c) is incorrect.
  4. Y. K. Alagh was an economist and policymaker, not the proposer of the Garland Canal System. Hence, option (d) is incorrect.

Hence, option (b) Dinshaw J. Dastur is correct.

Q. No. 12. Which of the following is/are the main objectives of the Sharda Tributary Command Development Project? (UPPCS Prelims, 2008)

  1. To increase agricultural production
  2. To change the pattern of land use through multiple cropping
  3. Reforms in land management

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 1 and 2

(c) Only 2 and 3

(d) All of the above

Answer: (d) 

Explanation:

● Merely constructing a dam or canal creates irrigation potential, but agricultural benefits may remain below capacity unless water is efficiently distributed within the command area.

● Command Area Development therefore focuses on efficient utilisation of irrigation water after it reaches the project command.

● Increasing agricultural production is an obvious objective because improved field-level delivery and drainage allow more reliable cultivation. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

● Reliable irrigation permits higher cropping intensity, including multiple cropping where agro-climatic conditions allow. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

● Land levelling, field channels, drainage, consolidation/realignment of fields and improved water-management practices are all land-management reforms associated with command-area development. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Hence, option (d) is correct.