Agricultural Research Station, Sriganganagar

The Irrigated North-Western Plain Zone (1b) comprises two districts of Rajasthan, Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh, which are located between 28.40 to 30.60 North latitude and 72.30 to 75.30 East longitudes. The zone has geographical area of 20.6 lac hectares out of which about 74 per cent area is under cultivation. The Ferozpur district of Punjab and Hissar district of Haryana form North-Western boundary, Churu and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan form South boundary and International border of Pakistan forms the North and North-Western boundary of the zone. Fifty percent of the cultivated area in the zone is irrigated. The Gang canal, Bhakhra canal and Indira Gandhi Canal are the major sources of irrigation in the zone. The zone has extreme climatic conditions with the scorching summer, cold winter and mild rainy season. Dust storms during summer, frosty winter nights and ground fog are some of the typical features of weather hazards. The mean annual rainfall of the zone is 322 mm.