Chhattisgarh Agriculture and Irrigation

Agriculture and Irrigation — Quick Revision

One-page CGPSC quick revision for Agriculture and Irrigation — every date, name and fact in tables for last-minute Prelims and Mains revision.

3 min read Updated Oct 2026 #quick revision#cgpsc

This one-page sheet covers Chhattisgarh’s cropping pattern, agro-climatic zones, dams and farm schemes. For explanations, read Rice Bowl of India: Cropping Pattern, Agro-Climatic Zones, Irrigation Projects and Agricultural Schemes.

How to use this sheet
Scan top to bottom the week before Prelims. Bold lines are the facts examiners return to most often.

Timeline / Key Facts

Cropping Pattern

FactDetail
Nickname“Rice Bowl of India” (धान का कटोरा)
Paddy areaAbout 3.7 million ha, roughly four-fifths of the kharif area (commonly cited; varies by year)
Kharif cropsPaddy, maize, arhar, urad, moong, soybean, kodo-kutki, ragi, niger
Leading rabi cropGram (chana), then wheat, lathyrus (teora), linseed, mustard
Utera (उतेरा)Seed of lathyrus, linseed, gram broadcast into standing paddy; grows on residual moisture
MilletsKodo, kutki, ragi: Bastar and tribal uplands
OilseedsSoybean (western plain), niger (Bastar, north), linseed (rabi)
GI riceJeeraphool (Surguja, 2019, first); Nagri Dubraj (Dhamtari, 2023)
Rice germplasmIGKV Raipur, over 23,000 accessions
Paddy price (2025-26)₹3,100/quintal, up to 21 quintals/acre (Krishak Unnati Yojana)
Procurement 2025-2615 Nov 2025 – 31 Jan 2026; about 141 lakh tonnes from about 25 lakh farmers (as reported)

Agro-Climatic Zones

FactDetail
Number3: Chhattisgarh Plains, Bastar Plateau, Northern Hills
National regionVII: Eastern Plateau and Hills (of 15, Planning Commission)
WettestBastar Plateau
DriestChhattisgarh Plains (but the most irrigated)
Rain-fed share (NABARD)Plains ~74%, Bastar ~97%, Northern Hills ~95%
Zonal stations (IGKV)Raipur (Plains), Jagdalpur (Bastar), Ambikapur (Northern Hills)
IGKVIndira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (est. 1987)

Irrigation and Dams

FactDetail
Irrigation share~23% of gross sown area (2000) → ~33% (2012) → roughly a third (mid-2020s)
Project classes (CCA)Major > 10,000 ha; medium 2,000–10,000 ha; minor < 2,000 ha
TandulaTandula + Sukha Nala, Balod, 1910–1921, oldest major dam; Bhilai water
MurumsilliSilyari, Dhamtari, 1923, first siphon spillways in Asia
Maniyari (Khudia)Maniyari, Mungeli, 1927–1930
Kharang (Khutaghat)Kharang, Bilaspur, c. 1930
DudhawaMahanadi, Kanker, 1953–1964
Gangrel (Pt. Ravishankar Sagar)Mahanadi, Dhamtari, 1978–79, longest (~1,830 m); Bhilai, Raipur
SondhurSondhur, Dhamtari (Mahanadi Reservoir Project)
Minimata Hasdeo BangoHasdeo, Korba, ~87 m, highest, largest storage, multi-purpose
Darri barrageHasdeo, Korba (below Bango)
Sikasar / Kodar / KeloPairi, Gariaband / Kodar, Mahasamund / Kelo, Raigarh
Arpa BhainsajharArpa, Bilaspur (barrage)
BodhghatIndravati, near Barsur, Dantewada; planned 1979; not built (2026)
Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal12 March 2018 (Odisha vs Chhattisgarh)

Schemes

FactDetail
Saur Sujala1 Nov 2016, solar pumps 3/5 HP, CREDA
Narwa-Garwa-Ghurwa-Bari (Suraji Gaon)2019: stream, cattle, compost pit, kitchen garden
Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay21 May 2020; ₹10,000/acre at launch
Godhan Nyay20 July 2020 (Hareli); cow dung at ₹2/kg
Millet Mission2021; kodo, kutki, ragi; IIMR Hyderabad
Krishak Unnati12 March 2024; MSP-to-₹3,100 gap × 21 quintals/acre (₹19,257/acre for kharif 2023); crop-shift aid from kharif 2025
Deendayal Upadhyay Bhumihin Krishi Majdoor Kalyan20 Jan 2025; ₹10,000/year (earlier Rajiv Gandhi scheme: ₹7,000)
CentralPM-KISAN (2019, ₹6,000/yr), PMFBY (2016), PMKSY (2015), PM-KUSUM (2019)

Don’t Confuse

ThisvsThat
Jeeraphool: Surguja, 2019Nagri Dubraj: Dhamtari, 2023
Gram: CG’s main rabi cropWheat: north India’s main rabi crop
Bastar: wettest zonePlains: driest but most irrigated
Eastern Plateau and Hills (VII)Central Plateau and Hills (VIII)
Gangrel: longestHasdeo Bango: highest, largest storage
Murumsilli: Silyari riverDudhawa: Mahanadi main stream
Tandula: BalodManiyari: Mungeli; Kharang: Bilaspur
Kisan Nyay: 21 May 2020Godhan Nyay: 20 July 2020 (Hareli)
Krishak Unnati: March 2024Landless-labourer scheme: January 2025
Saur Sujala: state, CREDAPM-KUSUM: central
Favourite MCQ trap
Three swaps recur: ₹3,100 called the MSP (it is MSP plus state input assistance), Gangrel called the highest dam (it is the longest; Hasdeo Bango is the highest), and the Plains called the wettest zone (Bastar is). Also remember that Bodhghat is still only a proposal.
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