Irrigation Engineering (BEG363CI)

Morgan Engineering College Prepared By: Subash Dhakal

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 Text Books & Reference Books

1. Design Manual for Irrigation projects in Nepal, PDSP Manuals, and February, 1990.
2. S.N . Poudel, Irrigation Development in Nepal Kathmandu, 1986.
3. S.K. Garg, Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulic structures, Delhi , 1983.
4. Design Guidelines for surface Irrigation in terai and Hills of Nepal, Volume I
and II, WECS, Kathmandu, 1988.
5. Choudhari, L.N. : A course manual on FMIS (Farmer Managed Irrigation system) ,
nec Publication (2004)
6. Guidelines for predicting crop water Requirements, FAO Irrigation and Drainage
paper 24 (1977) .

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 Chapter-1

Introduction to Irrigation

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Definition of Irrigation:
 The science of artificial application of water to the land, in accordance to the crop
requirements of the land thought the crop period for full-fledged nourishment of
crops is called irrigation.

 Irrigation is the agricultural process of applying controlled amounts of water to land

to assist in the production of crops, as well as to grow landscape plants and lawns

 The rainfall in Nepal occurs mainly in four monsoon months. The distribution of
rainfall is non uniform and the rainwater can’t fulfill year round demand of the
crops. To fulfill the water demand of the Crops, water has to be supplied artificially
which is called irrigation.

 Agriculture that does not use irrigation but instead relies only on direct rainfall is
referred to as rain-fed.
 Irrigation has been a central feature of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been
developed independently by many cultures across the globe.

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Advantages (Function) of Irrigation:
1. Increase in Food Production: Irrigation increases crop yield and helps to attain
self sufficiency in food.
2. Optimum Benefits: By optimum utilization of water, benefit from irrigation will
be maximized.
3. Elimination of Mixed Cropping: When water is not available in sufficient, two
crops are sown together so that the one crop for which the condition becomes
favorable will grow. By ensuring the required amount of water through irrigation,
mixed cropping can be eliminated.
4. General Prosperity: The revenue generated due to increase in production of crops
will bring prosperity.
5. Generation of Hydroelectricity: If some of the head is available for the
production of hydropower, electricity can also be generated. E. g; 48 MW power
from Bheri-Babai diversion, power from Gandak Barrage, etc.
6. Domestic Water Supply: Irrigation water can also be supplied for domestic uses
for sanitation, agriculture, livestocks.
7. Facilities of Communication: The embankments and the barrages can be used for
the physical communication (transportation).
8. Inland Navigation: The larger irrigation canals can be used for the inland
navigation.
9. Afforestation: Trees if planted along the canal banks aid in afforestation works
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Disadvantages or ill Effects of Irrigation:
1. Water Pollution: The chemicals used for irrigation may join the ground water and
the surface sources of water causing the water pollution.
2. Irrigation may result in the colder and damper climate resulting the marshy land
and breeding of mosquitoes causing out breakage of the diseases like Malaria and
Dengu.
3. Over irrigation may lead to water logging and may lead to reduction in crop yields
4. The huge cost is needed to develop irrigation projects but it is difficult to charge
the farmers for water fee. So irrigation increases Government’s investments.
5. While constructing the colossal irrigation waterways, people lose their residential
and commercial lands.
6. Irrigation becomes an obstacle in the path of free devours during the rainy season.
Careless and over-irrigation can lead to salt efflorescence.
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Challenges of Irrigation Development in Nepal
The key challenges that categorize irrigation development in Nepal are:
• The sediment concentration in river is so high that to manage the sediment deposition in the
agriculture field is a difficult task in Nepal.
• Old infrastructure and poor performances of the existing irrigation systems;
• Poor system efficiency and under–utilization of canal water;
• weak participation of Water Users Associations (WUAs),
• weak institutional capacity;
• Financial Shortage.
• Natural hazards such as uneven rainfall, drought also causes the problems for
farmers every year. The landslides, flood in river inundates the agriculture land each year which
affects in irrigation development.
• weak linkages between agriculture and irrigation.
• Market Problem for food storage which helps to sell in off season affects to the
irrigation practices and demotivate to the farmers always.
• continuation of subsistence agriculture practices in command area etc.
• Due to riparian issues, in Nepal, it has not been possible to tap the major river systems for
irrigation development, which discharge substantial amount of water even during the dry
season.
• Most of the irrigation systems are thus fed by medium or small rivers, which almost entirely
depend on the rain.
• Moreover, water use efficiency and agricultural productivity remain low in both the
traditional farmer-managed schemes and the large public irrigation systems. 11
Opportunities of Irrigation Development in Nepal:
Sustainable development of irrigation practices contributes to increase food production,
promotes economy and creates job opportunities that reduces poverty and
also protects the environment from pollution. It increases the ground water level through
recharging. Since the world is suffering from pandemic of covid-19 the world’s economy is in
degradation.
People are losing their job and unemployment is a great challenge for people and their
everyday life is becoming hard. In the lack of job the impact on poor people is tragic. They are
unable to afford for food and health care. For easy life Nepal has only one
option to make effective planning, policy and facilities to attract the youth in agriculture
profession. Agriculture is the only one sector that can creates the job opportunity and make
good income source in Nepal.

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Status Of Irrigation Development In Nepal

• Modern irrigation system was started at 1928 with the construction of Chandra
Nahar of Saptari district of Nepal (Province -2) at Rana regime for rice, wheat and
maize crops. This canal is still in use and it uses water from Triyuga River of
Udaypur District that meets Spatkoshi River.
• After that Raj Kulo was constructed for Kathmandu valley at same time .Then later
the irrigated agriculture practices started all over the country gradually.
• The irrigation system were started to develop in three forms as small, medium and
large in Nepal .
• In hilly area small scale canal were constructed as farmer managed irrigation canal
(FMIS). Soyak irrigation system Ilam, Pithuwwa Irrigation system Chitwan,
Subedar ko Kulo Sindhupalchok ,Leguwa irrigation system Palpa, Baghkhor kulo
Surkhet are the main farmer managed irrigation canal in hilly region .
• In terai medium and large size projects were developed. The major canal
constructed were kankai irrigation canal of 3000 ha command area, sunsari Morang
irrigation canal of 2000 ha command area, Bagmati irrigation canal of 32000 ha
command area, koshi western canal and pump canal of 24280 ha command area,
Khutia 3500 ha command area, Mohana 2000 ha command area and Mahakali 1900
ha command area.
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 Status Of Irrigation Development In Nepal

• Also Nation pride project Babai irrigation project is implemented by the Ministry of
Energy, water Resources and Irrigation aim to irrigate 36000 ha of land using Babai
River in west Nepal.
• Similarly another national pride project Sikta from Rapti River has started to irrigate
the land area of 43000 ha.
Total area of country = 14.71 million ha
Total cultivable area = 2.64 million ha
Total irrigable land = 1.76 million ha (due to the difficult topography of the country,
only this much land can be irrigated.
Upto the end of the fiscal year, 2075/76, the status of the irrigation facilities is
presented below.
Surface irrigation = 10,02,746 ha = 1.027 Million ha
Underground irrigation = 4,79,882 ha = 0.479 Million Ha
Total irrigated land = 14,46,731 ha = 1.446 Million Ha

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 Status Of Irrigation Development In Nepal

List of Irrigation Projects in Nepal

1. Babai Irrigation Project, Bardiya
2. Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project, Tikapur, Kailali
3. Sikta Irrigation Project, Banke
4. Bheri Babai Diversion Multiple Project, Surkhet
5. Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project, Sindhuli
6. Mahakali Irrigation Project, Kanchanpur
7. Sunsari Morang Irrigation Project, Morang
8. Bagmati Irrigation Project, Sarlahi
9. Narayani River Management Project, Chitwan
10. Karnali River Management Project, Bardiya
11. Mahakali River Training Project, Darchula
12. Koshi Pump, Chandra Canal Irrigation Management Office, Saptari
13. Narayani Irrigation Management Office, Parsa
14. Bhairahawa Lumbini Groundwater Irrigation Management Office, Rupandehi

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