Answer in Detail

Social Science : Economics

AGRICULTURE IN TAMILNADU

V. Answer in Detail

1. Give a note on the water resources of Tamil Nadu

• There are no perennial rivers in Tamil Nadu. So Tamil Nadu depends on southwest and northeast monsoon winds for water.

• Northeast monsoon is a major source of water for Tamil Nadu.

• The Northeast monsoon rains are stored in reservoirs, lakes and tanks.

• Water bodies like lakes, ponds and canals provide water for agriculture.

• There are thousands of open wells and bore-wells.

• The agriculture in Tamil Nadu is largely dependent on ground water. But the use of groundwater for agriculture creates many hardships.

2. What are the problems faced by using ground water for agriculture ?

• The agriculture in Tamil Nadu is dependent on ground water. But the use of groundwater for agriculture creates many problems.

• If the amount of water taken from the underground is more than the amount of water that goes into underground it creates problem. The ground water will go down resulting in the complete dryness or change to unusable water.

• The Union Water Board has identified 139 Panchayat unions as excessive users of ground water.

3. Discuss about the source of irrigation for agriculture

• There are no perennial rivers in Tamil Nadu. So Tamil Nadu depends on Southwest monsoon and Northeast monsoon for water.

• Northeast monsoon is a major source of water for Tamil Nadu

• The water which is received from these monsoon winds is stored in reservoirs, lakes, ponds and tanks.

• This water is taken to fields through canals.

• There are nearly 2239 canals in Tamil Nadu.

• The area of land that is irrigated from lakes is very low.

• There are also bore wells and open wells.

• Bore wells irrigate 4.93 lakh hectares and open wells provide water to 11.91 lakh hectares of land.

• The agriculture in Tamil Nadu is mostly dependent on groundwater.

• But excessive use of groundwater will result in dryness or affect the quality of water.

• In 2014-15, 59 percentage of food crops and 50 percentage of non-food crops were irrigated in TamilNadu. 

VI. Activity (For Students)

1. Analyse the cultivation of food crops and non-food crops of your village / area.

2. Thanjavur is famous for which crop? Why is it so? Research.

3. Collect statistical data, where paddy is being cultivated at Thanjavur District, which is called the Nerkalanjium of Tamil Nadu.