What is Chahi land?

India has the world’s second-largest area in terms of cultivable area of around 169 million hectares. In this article, we look at Chahi land, that is, irrigated agricultural land.

What is Chahi land?

Chahi land denotes agricultural land that is irrigated with well water. Out of the total irrigational coverage in India, only around 40% of land is irrigated. The government is working on strategies to double the irrigation in the coming months.

Types of Chahi land

There are two types of Chahi land:

Chahi mustar: These are lands that are irrigated with purchased water. These belong to farmers who do not have wells. They purchase well water from others to irrigate their fields.

Chahi nahri: These are lands irrigated using canal and well water.

What are the challenges faced by Chahi land farmers?

Farmers depend on monsoons for irrigation as many of them do not have wells to draw water and irrigate fields. However, monsoons in India are unpredictable. It may leave a huge dry spell or fall with fierce force.

India is a major agricultural country and the presence of a solid irrigation network is a must. However, another issue is the reduced groundwater table that impacts the water supply for irrigation purposes.

Housing.com POV

Agriculture is one of the most important and biggest segments in India. Water is critical for agricultural irrigation and any provision by the government to address irrigation needs will positively impact the agriculture segment.

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