RAS question
The Indira Gandhi Canal (IGNP) irrigates which part of Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (A) Western Rajasthan (Thar Desert).
The Indira Gandhi Canal, also called the Indira Gandhi Nahar Project, irrigates Western Rajasthan, including the Thar Desert.
Explanation
The Indira Gandhi Nahar Project is linked to Western Rajasthan because it brings Sutlej-Beas water to the Thar Desert, turning barren desert land into agricultural land. The Rajasthan Economic Review describes the project as the lifeline of Western Rajasthan and says its aim is to irrigate the desert land of Western Rajasthan with Himalayan water, while also providing drinking water in that area. That directly matches option A: the canal is not a general Rajasthan-wide irrigation answer, but a project identified with the arid western desert belt. For RAS, the key phrase is Western Rajasthan or Thar Desert.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Central Rajasthan is not the primary command area identified for IGNP; Rajasthan Economic Review 2025-26, Government of Rajasthan specifically links the project with Western Rajasthan's desert land.
- (C) Southern Rajasthan is not the area named for this canal project, and it is served by other irrigation projects.
- (D) Eastern Rajasthan has other irrigation sources, while IGNP is a Western Rajasthan desert irrigation project.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan irrigation projects and their command areas, a recurring RAS economy-geography theme because canals are tied to regional development and desert agriculture. IGNP is especially important because it is the standard example for irrigation transformation in Western Rajasthan.