Gross Command Area & Culturable Command Area

These terms are mainly used in canal irrigation engineering. When a new canal is constructed, the engineers create its design maps etc. While doing so, they chalk out the entire area within an imaginary line that can be included in the irrigation project under development. This Gross Command Area (GCA) includes cultivable land as well as barren land, forests, houses, wasteland, roads etc.

Cultivable Command Area is that part of Gross Command Area, which is fit for cultivating crops. So, cultivable area excludes forest and barren land from the Gross Command Area. What is left is uncultivable area.

Gross Command Area=Cultivable Command Area + Uncultivable Area

The key feature of cultural command area is that it can be physically irrigated from a scheme and is fit for cultivation of crops.