Lrrigation is important in Indian agriculture because : 1. Uncertainty of Rainfall: The rainfall in India is highly irregular in place and time. Sometimes monsoons arrives early and sometimes it comes late. Sometimes rainfall is not regular throughout the rainy season leading to water scarcity and withering of crops. Hence, irrigation in the only support to raise crops. 2. Uneven Distribution of Rainfall: The distribution of rainfall in India is uneven in most part of country receiving 80% of rainfall, in June to Sept. Western Ghats and Eastern India get more than 250 cm, northern plains and Eastern peninsula get 100- 200 cm; Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana lie in arid zone. Therefore this inadequacy of rainfall has to be met by irrigation. 3. Crop requirements : 1. Three crop seasons, zaid or summer crops depend on irrigation. 2. Rapid growth of population force farmers to grow two or three successive crops in a single year which is possible through irrigation only. 3. High yielding varieties require high quantity of chemical fertilizers which need more water. 4. Commercial crops like sugar cane needs frequent watering which is possible through irrigation only.