Identify correct statements with reference to the Indira Gandhi Canal?
(A) The canal originates at Harike barrage in Rajasthan.
(B) It has also caused waterlogging and soil salinity.
(C) The Indira Gandhi Canal is one of the largest canal systems in India.
(D) The Indira Gandhi Canal was previously known as the Rajasthan Canal.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (B), (C) and (D) only
The Indira Gandhi Canal carries water from Punjab into the dry Thar Desert of Rajasthan. Canal water turned desert land into farmland, but too much irrigation also brought new problems to the soil.
(A) The canal originates at Harike barrage in Rajasthan. — Incorrect. The canal starts at Harike barrage in Punjab. It then runs into Rajasthan, parallel to the Pakistan border, about 40 km away from it. NTA moved the Harike barrage from Punjab to Rajasthan with just one word. Read every place name before you mark the answer.
(B) It has also caused waterlogging and soil salinity. — Correct. Farmers used too much canal water. Water collected in the fields (waterlogging), and salts came up and stayed in the soil (soil salinity). Both harm the land in the long run.
(C) The Indira Gandhi Canal is one of the largest canal systems in India. — Correct. Its total planned length is 9,060 km, and it serves a culturable command area of 19.63 lakh hectares.
(D) The Indira Gandhi Canal was previously known as the Rajasthan Canal. — Correct. Rajasthan Canal was its earlier name. The same canal is now called the Indira Gandhi Canal (Nahar).
NCERT (2026-27): “Indira Gandhi Canal (Nahar) Command Area … Indira Gandhi Canal, previously known as the Rajasthan Canal, is one of the largest canal systems in India. Conceived by Kanwar Sain in 1948, the canal project was launched on 31 March, 1958. The canal originates at Harike barrage in Punjab and runs parallel to Pakistan border at an average distance of 40 km in Thar Desert (Marusthali) of Rajasthan.” “Irrigation in Stage-I command area of the canal was introduced in early 1960s, whereas, the command area of Stage-II began receiving irrigation in mid-1980s. The introduction of canal irrigation in this dry land has transformed its ecology, economy and society. It has influenced the environmental conditions of the region both positively as well as negatively. The availability of soil moisture for a longer period of time and various afforestation and pasture development programmes under CAD have resulted in greening the land. This has also helped in reducing wind erosion and siltation of canal systems. But the intensive irrigation and excessive use of water has led to the emergence of twin environmental problems of waterlogging and soil salinity.” |