MAD H YA P RADES H, I RRIGATIO N D E PA RTM E NT

DESIGN SERIES TECHNICAL CIRCULAR NO 59

(lssued vide memo No. /BODH|/R&C/68 SIT .C.1201,6 Dated /201.6J

Sub:- REVISED GUIDELTNES FOR TRANSMtsStON LoSSES: SySTEM
EFFtCtENCy

The main object of irrigation is to supply water to the .,Root zone,, of the plants.
This object is achieved
by releasing water from the sources of suppry to the curtivated fierds tfrrough
opan .an.r system or prpe
systems which may be under pressure or at atmospheric pressure Thb canalsystem
consists of the
main canal, and/or branch canal, distributaries, minor and sub-minors; water
courses, field channets and
farm channels whereas the pipe canar system consists of pressurized
fiow and frow under gravity.
2'0 During its transit from source to the crop root-zone, consider3ble amount of
water is lost. Four
areas of iosses have been identified in a lrrigation system. These
are:_
(a) Field application losses.
(b) Field cha nne I losses.
(c) Seepage and evaporation losses, and
(d) Operationa I losses.
In designing and planning of the lrrigation system, these losses are acc
nted for and expressed in
terms of efficiencies which is a measure output obtained from a ven unit of input. These
losses/efficiencies are expla ined below:-
2,1 Field Application Efficiency (Ea):
All the water made available at the field proper does not actuall reach
I the crop, root-zone.
some water is lost in deep percoration, surface run-off, unsown area,
evaporation etc. these are known
as application losses and are expressed in terms of application
efficiency, which is the ratio of the
quantity of the water actually placed in crop root-zone
to the totill quantity of water supplied to the
field, expressed as percentage.
2.2 Field channel Efficiency(Efc):_
Losses taking place in the system between the field and the 5-g ha turnout are expressed
in
terms of field channel efficiencv.
It the ratio of quantity of water actually available at the field to
is
that released at the 5-8 ha.
Turnout expressed as percentage and it is applicable for open
canal system only.
2.3 Conveyance Efficiency (Es)
These losses take prace due to seepage of water from the
bed and sides of the channer carrying
water, evaporation loss also takes place from the surface
of water flowing in the channels. However, it is
very small as compared to tlre dbepage losses and therefore
seepa6;e losses are considered as inclusive
of evaporation losses. These are expressed in terms
of conveyance efficiency.
conveyance efficiency is the ratio of quantity of the
water rL'ceived at the outret to the quantity
released at canal head, expressed as a percentage.
The expression of seepage ross in terms of cusecs/mirion
sq.ft. or cumecs/m.sq.m. of wetted
perimeter is more widely accepted. Accordingly
seepage losses may be estimated on the basis of values
indicated in tabre No.2 0f this circurar. However,
in the initiar stages of project pranning and design,
sufficient data on the canar system are not avairabre.
The seepage .onuuy.na" torru, ,nuit6"rator. rr"
estimated and accounted for on the basis of appropriate
value of conveyance efficiency.

Contd.
 ' 2.4 Operational efficienry (Eo)
0perational efficiency is a ratio of actually
project efficiency to project efficiency of
ideally designed and managed sysrem
under same irrigation methods and
percentage. expressed

Low operational efficiency indicates

or system design p or both.
2.5 Projects Efficiency (Ep)
The Projects Efficiency also called
as overall ciency, which is the
accounting for all the losses taking place of the project
in the em form field to canal hea
It is the ratio between water placed
in root-zone and the total qua
of the irrigated project, expressed supplied at the
as a pe
Mathematically it the product of the four e
is
expla ined above. Thus
Ep=EaxEfcxEsxEo
A table giving recommended values
efficiencies for lined and unli canal system is
below for guidance.

TABTE
Efficiencies to be adopted for various
of open canal net work

Efficiency Wholly lined down Lined down to 40 Ha Wholly unlined

Ha

Field Application
Efficiency (Ea)
Field Cha nnel
Efficiency (Efc)

Operational
Efficiency (Eo)
Project Efficiency
(Ep)
Ep =EaxEfcxEsxEo
Example-Given p.aay .rolTur[i.,eaiGG, to 8 ha. Net lrrigation _ -quidment
mm. at field= 480
1. Water requirement at field including field ppiication
2. Water requirement at Gow. ou et = 48O/ Ea = 4gg1g.gg
= 533 mm.
= 480/(Ea x Efc) = a69 19.99 x 0.90)=
!gl.g9 prn
3. Water requirement at canal head
j;l
= 49971 x Erc x Es x Eo) or qto/ep
= a8o/oun ;;n' "
Say 696 mm
Contd.
 3

Thus, in the above example,

{i) Field application losses

533-480=53 mm.
(ii) Fleld channel losses
593-533=60 mm.
(iii) Evaporation, seepage and operational
losses 696-593=103 mm.
From canal head to 5 to g ha
turn out.
(iv) Totalor overa ll losses
696-480=216 mm.

TABLE 1, (B)
Efficiencies to
be adopted in design for various
types of pipe canal system running under
under pressure. gravity or

qr
ETflCtency Pipeline deliveringl Main canal open and
No. Pipeline Pipeline
to Lha at highest poinl lined, disnet with delivering delivering
with 1m exit gradient pipelin e delivering up to up to tha u p to ltta
tha at highest point with with min with
1m exi t gradient 20 m exit required
pressure exit
with pressure
sprinkler for DRtp
i/c SCADA irrigation
and with
automation
ISCADA {t
leutom:ti^h
Other Other
Paddy For all For all
Kharif Rabi Paddv Kharif Rabi crops crops
Fie ld
Application
I Efficiency (Ea) o.9 o.5R 0.84 0.9 0.68 0.84 0.85
Field Cha nnel 0.9
Efficiency
z ' (Efc) 0.9 9 0.9 9 0.99 0.99 0.99 0.9 9 i.
Conveyance 1
3 Efficiency (Es) 0.97 0.99 0.99 0.94 0.94
Operationa 0.94 1 L
I

4 Efficiency (Eo) 0.97 0.97 0.9 7 0.97 0.97

P roject 0.97 0.99 0.99
Efficiency (Ep)
Ep
t =EaxEfcxEsxEo 0.84, F U.05 0.80 0.81 U,O I 0.7 6 0.84 0.89

Co ntd.
 TABLE 2

SEEPAGE LOSSES
IN UNLINED
/TINED CHANNETS

(A) Unlined Channels

character of MiieriJ
seepage Loss CrrneE
/rniff
lmpervious ctay toam m' of wetted perimeter
Mediumctayt"% 0.90 to 1.20

not over 0.60 to 0.90 1.20 to 1.80

m below level
a\'.li^^-.
v' urrdry ctay
',----loam, silty siol
orGu..t to.,
Gravellyorr% 1,.80 to 2.70

clay 2.70 to 3.60

Gravelly 3.60 to 5.60

sa ndy soils
Porous gravelffi
Very gravelly-oil

(B) tined Canal: -

ln the case of linerl r"^.r. -^__
mav assumed,"::
sqm or wetted perimeter
;il,gff H: fr:r;m
ete r (ra b e_2," *;;
;;;;; fi ; trH;::ff
,]f#:-i:::: llil'Yl.'"*": as 0.60 cumecs/miilion
?:l:: H:,#"::
This T.c. supersedes
The T.C. I

:!;y;:,:y:;illi.,'.iL:;'i:i:,JhTiffi H"':'/11",/R&cncl117336u1u6
No. BODHT/R&c/TCl24l
dated

5.

Chief Engineer (BODHt) (M.G. Choubey)

Water Resources Department Engineer _in_ Chief
Bhopal
Water Resources Department
Bhopal
 5

Endt.No 838 / BODHI/ R&Ct T.C.t 2016 Bhopal Dated96

Copy forwarded to :- llolzot
1. Personal Secretary to, Hon. Minister . Water Resources Department, Bhopal.
2. Additional Chief Secretary to Govt. M.P. NVDA Bhopal.
3. Principal Secretary to Gor.t. of M.p. ater Resources Deparlment, Bhopal.
4. Engineer in Chief , M.p. Water Departrnent , Bhopal.
5. Member Engineering, N.V.D.A. Bhawan, Bhopal.
6. Project Director,World Bank Bhopal.
7. Director, WALMI, Near Kaliasote Site, Bhopal.
8. The Accountant Gerieral (Civil), Mp M.P. Nagar', Bhopal.
9. The Chief Technical Examiner Govt M.P. Jail Road Bhopal.
10. The Secretary to Lokayukt, Bhopal
1 1. The Secretary, Betwa River Board,
(U.P.)/Chambal Conh.ol Board, Kota
. (Rajashan)iBansagarControlBoard,
.)/Inter State Control Boar.d, Sitabuldi,
(Maharastra).
12. The Secretary,Major project Control
Bhopal.
i3. All Chief Engineer, M.p. Water Department

For necessary action. The copies of amendment must be circulated at your level to all
officers under jurisdiction.
eer (Monitoring , O/O Engineer in Chief , M.P. Water Resources

Bank projects,
departmental web site.

Encl :- as above
z{z.afp11:.
(ManojXcharya)
Chief Engineer, BODHI
Water Resources Depaftment
\ Bhopal (M.P.)