Intensive household surveys in six rice-growing villages of Chhattisgarh region under two different ecosystems, irrigated and rainfed, indicate that income from all economic activities is much higher in irrigated ecosystem than in the rainfed. The share of rice in total household income was higher in the irrigated areas than in the rainfed, but the concentration of income from this source was almost the same. Technology-irrigation intensity contributed to higher incomes, but a larger share of the income accrued to land and capital. Rice contributed to an increase in household income inequality but it was offset by a reduction in income inequality from the non-farm sources. The incidence, depth, and severity of rural poverty were much lower in the irrigated ecosystem than in the rainfed.
