43.6 per cent of India’s net sown area lacks irrigation

One key indicator is the percentage of net sown area that remains non-irrigated, which serves as a measure of a state’s agricultural dependence on monsoon rainfall.

NEW DELHI: The Directorate of Economics and Statistics publishes detailed state- and year-wise data on land use, covering aspects such as crop patterns, production, irrigation, and cultivated areas. One key indicator is the percentage of net sown area that remains non-irrigated, which serves as a measure of a state’s agricultural dependence on monsoon rainfall.

This is calculated by subtracting the net irrigated area from the net sown area. The resulting non-irrigated area, when expressed as a percentage of the total net sown area, highlights how reliant different states are on rain-fed agriculture.

According to the latest figures, 43.6% of India’s net sown area lacks irrigation, underlining the country’s overall dependence on monsoons. States such as Manipur (85.1%), Sikkim (84.3%), Assam (83%) and Maharashtra (81.2%) exhibit high levels of rain-fed farming, suggesting limited irrigation infrastructure.

In contrast, Punjab (0.7%), Haryana (6.9%), UP (12.9%), and Madhya Pradesh (18.4%) report extensive irrigation coverage, enabling more reliable agricultural productivity.