Irrigation Water Management
Rajat Mishra
Asst. Professor
Civil Engineering Department
Irrigation Water Management
• Irrigation Water Management is the process of
determining and controlling the volume,
frequency, and application rate of irrigation
water in a planned, efficient manner.
Irrigation Water Management
• Why is Irrigation Water Management
Important?
– Manage soil moisture to promote desired crop
response.
– Optimize the use of available water supplies.
– Minimize irrigation induced erosion.
– Decrease non-point source pollution of surface
and groundwater resources.
– Manage salts in the crop root zone.
– Manage air, soil or plant micro-climate.
Indian Water Resources Scenario
• India is bordered in the north by the 2,500- kilometer long
Himalayan Mountains.
• Melting snow and glaciers provide a continuous flow for
numerous Himalayan rivers in Indo-genetic Plain, which is
dominated by the Ganges River and its tributaries.
• Heavy rains are typical in the Himalayas during the monsoon
months between June and October, causing frequent floods.
• Southern India consists largely of the Deccan Plateau, which is
flanked by the Western Ghats running along the west coast
and the smaller Eastern Ghats of the east coast.
• The Deccan Rivers are rain fed and fluctuate in volume; many
of these rivers are not perennial.
• Rainfall is the only sources for water which is available mainly
during the monsoon season lasting for less than 3 months.
• Due to tropical climate and it's geographical, location, the
country experiences vast spatial and temporal variation in
precipitation.
• About one- third of the country's area is drought prone.
• The south and western parts comprising the states of
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are the drought
prone states.
• On the other hand, north and north eastern regions including
states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam are
subjected to periodic flooding.
Irrigation Development
Historical Perspective
Potential Created as % of Ultimate Irrigation Potential
16%
In 1951
67%
In 2002
Per Capita Availability
Water Availibilty (Cubic meter per
6000
5000
capita per year)
4000
3000 Water Stress Line
Water Scarcity Line
2000
1000
0
1951 1991 2001 2025 2050
Sources of Irrigation
11.55 (21%)
21.72 (40%)
2.89 (5%)
15.98 (29%)
2.53 (5%)
Canals Tanks Tube Wells
Other Wells Other Sources
• Surface Water:
– In India, surface flow takes place through 14 major rivers
systems.
– In addition to major rivers there are 44 medium and 55 minor
systems. These are fast flowing and monsoon fed.
• Ground Water:
– Ground water resources are abundant only in the northern and
coastal plains. Presently about 25% of the ground water is being
used by man.
– According to the initial estimates of the Central Ground Water
Board an additional quantity of about 10,081 km3 of static
ground water can be exploited.
Irrigation Sources
39%
48%
13%
Major & Medium Irrigation
Minor (Surface Water)
Minor(Ground Water)
Pump irrigation expansion is driven
by population pressure on farm lands..
60% of tubewells in use
Were made during the
1990’s; numbers are
Still accelerating..
Ground Water Exploitation
• Rain Water:
• India receives about 3 trillion M3 of water from rainfall.
This is a huge resource and perhaps largest in the
world. However, almost 90% of this precipitation falls
between mid June and October, out of which India
utilizes only 10%.
• Average Annual Rainfall - 1170 mm
• Maximum Average Annual Rainfall - 11000
mm
(Cherrapunji)
• Minimum Average Annual Rainfall - 100 mm
(Western Rajasthan)
Spatial Variation of Rainfall
Rainfall in m m
1000
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
0
Winter
Monsoon
(Jan-Feb)
Pre
Monsoon
(Mar-May
Monsoon
(Jun-Sep)
Temporal Variation
Post
All India
Monsoon
(Oct-Dec)
Around 9.7 million hectare-metres of water was
available for agricultural reasons before 1951.
But by 1973, almost 18.4 million hectare-meter of
water resources was being supplied for agriculture
and irrigation.
In India, the utilisable ground water resources are
considered to be approximately around 40 million
hectare-metres.
Yet only 10 million hectare-metres are being utilised
currently.
Evolution of Indian Irrigation
Era of adaptive irrigation-upto 1830
• Community was the unit of irrigation management
% Contribution to aggregate
Farm output and incomes Rainfall and Soil moisture
Flow irrigation from tanks, canals, rivers
Lift irrigation from wells and surface sources
% of water consumptively used in agriculture
Evolution of Indian Irrigation:
Era of canal construction-1830-1970
• State emerged as the architect, builder, manager of irrigation
Soil moisture management
% Contribution to aggregate
Farm output and incomes Flow irrigation from tanks, canals, rivers
Lift irrigation from wells & surface sources
% water consumptively used in agriculture
Evolution of Indian Irrigation:
Era of atomistic pump irrigation-1970-todate
Individual farmer as the irrigation manager
% Contribution Soil moisture management
To Farm output & incomes
Flow irrigation
Pump irrigation from wells, tubewells, canals
% of water consumptively used in agriculture
India is the world’s largest user
of groundwater in agriculture in the world.
300 India has over 20
250 million irrigation wells.
cubic km/ year
200
We add 0.8
million/year.
150
100
50 Every fourth cultivator
0 owns an irrigation well;
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
non-owners depend on
US [Link] Spain groundwater markets.
Mexico China India
Pakistan Bangladesh Sri Lanka
Vietnam Ghana South Africa
Tunisia
Water Availability
(In Billion cubic metre)
Total Precipitation : 4000
Total Water Availability : 1869
Total Utilisable Water : 1122
Surface Water - 690
Ground Water - 432
Irrigated Agriculture in India:
Broad contours
• Ultimate Irrigation Potential: 140 [Link].
– Groundwater contribution: 64.05 [Link].
– Minor surface irrigation: 17.4 [Link].
– Major and medium: 58.5
With inter-basin transfers the UIP can go up to 175
[Link].
Page 22
Water Management issues related to Irrigation
• Water logging and salinity
• Displacement and Rehabilitation
• Declining Water use efficiency
• Inter sectoral Competition
• Ground water Depletion
• Under Utilisation of water resources
Thank You
