Gross Irrigated Area and Net Irrigated Area

We can classify the irrigated area into gross and net irrigated area. The Net Irrigated Area is the actual land area on which irrigation was used for growing crops for as many times as many in an agricultural year {Agricultural Year is from 1^st July to 30^th June}. On the other hand, Gross irrigated area is the total irrigated area under various crops during the year counting the area irrigated under more than one crop during the same year as many times as the number of crops grown, crops sown mixed being taken as one crop. Thus, if a crop is grown for more than one time in an agricultural year, the Gross Irrigated Area will count the irrigated area for more than once. We note here that out of about 141 m. Ha of net area sown in the country, about 65 million hectare (or 45%) is presently covered under irrigation.