Development of Irrigated Agriculture in East Pakistan : Some Basic Considerations

Abstract

East Pakistan is characterized by a heavy monsoon rainfall accompanied by inundation of vast areas during the summer season. The inundation is caused by high flood levels of two of the largest rivers of the world, the Brahmaputra Jamuna and the Ganges-Padma and by the influx of such major tributaries as the Meghna within the deltaic area. Probably nowhere else in the world is there such a confluence of great rivers as in East Pakistan. The heavy precipitation and extensive inundation create difficulties for most crops other than rice. Thus, rice is grown on 23 million acres or 112 per cent of the 20.5 million acres of the net area sown1. The area of all other crops is 5 million acres, raising the total cropped area2 to 28 million acres. This gives an intensity of cropping3 of 137 per cent.