Page 552 - index

CHHATTISGARH

Geographical position and climate

°
°
Chhattisgarh is one of the fastest-developing states of India located between 17 N to 23 N
°
°
latitudes and 80 E to 84 E longitudes. It is the tenth-largest state in India, with an area of 135,191
2
km .According to a government estimate, net sown area of the state is 4.82 million hectares and
the gross sown area is 5.78 million hectares. The climate of Chhattisgarh is tropical. It is hot and
humid because of its proximity to the tropical of cancer and its dependence on the monsoon for
rains. In the temperature varies between 30 and 45°C (86 and 113°F) in summer and 0°C and
25°C (32 and 77°F) during winter.Summer temperatures in Chhattisgarh can reach 45 °C
(113 °F). The monsoon season is from late June to October and is a welcome respite from the
heat. Chhattisgarh receives an average 1,292 mm of rain. Winter is from November to January
and it is a good time to visit Chhattisgarh. Winters are pleasant with low temperatures and less
humidity.

Soils

The soils of Chhattisgarh are classified into five major orders. Entisols are extremely shallow,
very well drained, and sandy-loam in texture. The major soil type are covered area in the state is
549.96 thosand ha, which comprises 39% Inceptisol and 12% Entisol. Alfisols are medium deep,
well drained, clay-loam soils on gently sloping undulating to rolling plateau with moderate
erosion hazards, usually occurring on the mid-slopes covering 27% area. Vertisols are deep,
moderately well drained, clayey soils, mostly occurring in the lower parts of the very gently
sloping, 21% area were covered of Vertisol.

Crops and cropping systems

The various crops are grown by the cultivators in Chhattisgarh. The rice (68.8%) was found to be
major crop of the state. The cultivators are also found to be grown tiwra (6.5%), gram (4.6%),
paddy (2.6%), kodo-kutki (2.3%) and wheat (1.9%). The maize, urd, niger, soybean, arhar,
mustard, kulthi, alsi, groundnut, til, masoor, pea, moong, moong, jwar, urd, sunflower, kulthi and
safflower are also grown in small proportion by the cultivators in the state.

Fertilizer consumption

Total consumption of N, P 2O 5 and K 2O was 3,88,944, 2,20,989 and 63,419 tonnes, respectively,
and consumption of ZnSO 4 was 1,435 and 490 tonnes in Kharif and Rabi season, respectively in
2016-17.