RESEARCH ARTICLES
GIS-based decision support system for real
time water demand estimation in canal
irrigation systems
N. H. Rao"*, Sheena M. Brownee* and P. B. S. Sarma'
Ü atíonøl Academy oł' Agriru flush Research Management, Rajenö ransgar. Hyderabøfi 5U£1 05tJ, I nfiia
’Wa\er Techn+›lngy' ȘcnJîc, J i*dizn Agricu huruf Research instils+c. New Delhi Ł 0 gl 2, lndia
In csnaİ lrrlgałlon systems łn India, water .supplies
reach tne fìelds łhrougt a oetivoríi ef maiø • =!s,
branct eaaøts (setendøry eanølsł and dìstrtbutøries
(tertiary eaxaisł. The dl*łrlbutary 1s the bnik unit of
irrigation management in large ceiisl systems, at It is
ibe tosl point uf contròl in niøin frrígntłon systems
ogerøtion. This stu4y gzese«ts a scheme for tbe de e-
lopment of a Geographic Informailon Systems IGIS
ł- boxed decision support system t0SSj for reel łime
ua• ier .Remind estimation ìn dlstribułarłei. Tke
DSS dy• namically Iînlcs a flel4 łrrìgatlon démitø4
gźedlctíoo model tar Œe area irrigated by a
dlstrtbutery wilts a CŁG of the canal aetwoA The
șystem gJło•• ínterac- fise selection oF disttlbutarles
ax4 en-line real tinte estimation oî water demands la
each distriüutarT a the enlíre network. Lor real time
estimates, the medeì is used e lb current seaœn
łoï'o••æŁîon on weałhez, weather forecasts anti
dtstrtbútøry level ínforxfiatíun
on crags anä soils. Slnče the dłetrJMutary £s the uoit
oF opt ration, ihe DSS iniegrałee well witß the actust
precise of' deeisioo-making fry the oPerators of sanal
írrteatyo» <zst<= io MadIa.. The axeiJabiìity of such e
quantiłaiive decšsioo-supgott tiiuì fsr Irrigation
eystezós operation can hase a gowerfuÏ Impact on The
oserelŁ water management strategy
Cü
sborjfall In ø'ałer eitppłíeo 3 te development oF the
overall srheme and procedures is ílJusłrered with óałø
THE creation of a number of lärge irrigation systems
in Ïridia cuniribuied significantl y to gains irl food
produc- tion provided by the Green Revolution. li also
improved food security in the region' and r‹:dueeõ tte
dependence of agriculture on the vagaries of the
monsoons. However, the increasing cows of creaticrn and
Mß in țerance of these system, and doubts about the
loøg•term sustainability of the oil aod water resources
in their command areas, have let to much critic¡em God
concern. Tnis n•ÍBıhs mainly to tte low cpcratioñ ei
efticitncies of'the iarge systc>• í'*"g- ing between
'30'and 4tJ$), aød consequent watéi losses in
y ater öisirihution sysieM. W fiely ltte problem of assess tag
transmission anõ tow crop yields' '. There 'is agrcemeo t
char suhetantial benefits can be derived even from relay
{iyetȚ ßMBîJ increasek in npergting e£ficienc v.‘
is delivered river a large arêa (10.000 to a million hec-
tares or more in ladie} w i1Ii s¡›atiall y variable soil.s,
cropv and scatter conditions. The irrigation Suppl ies
reørh the fields through a hierarchical iietz'orš of main
canals, branch canals (secondary canals) and
distriboiaries (terti- ary cana1s). The disrributary is
usuall y the last poiat 'of coniroJ ł'or msin itrigałion
syau•m manøgcmcnt as Turn- stmam of this' îex'eI,
irriggżion is either dieId•tó- ficlćf ur under Ëhč diicci vonlrol
of the fcrmeic. The irrigation au@lier inro cach dis‹ribulary
are decide hosed on rhe estımcied wiu•f demands of be
crops in the'area trrlgaied by it, ther accounting for field-
application losses. The demands dcpenõ on soil, weather
anõ crop conditions in the irrigated area. Fun her, ihe total
oreas irrigated by different distributøries alsu s'ary. The
trrigatioø demand estimation for eac h di tin8•!*'r is
thcrcfrirc independeiit of other distribuiarics. Thy iÖdl
¥'iãual distributary •ievcl w ąter demand s arc aggrcga ted
tø gssesa i rrigation supp tş' r'equizęmente zțt higher levels
{brànch canal* anó main canals) of tŁie irrigation syslcm
at'ter accnurtcing for IransinisSion îoeaes’. The opcrølionel
efficienciea dêpend un the estenc to which the ìrrigaiton
sugplie matcłt the demands at each Iiietarchiczú Ìeveî of.
the network., ’illus, estimating: pcrioütcall y, and ią reel
time. the wB er d+- manüs of individual üiścibulancs of'
the canal nëta'ork
øtø critical for improving the overall operational efficien-
cies of large irrigation systems.
Musi carIier studies in real time irrigatioțt s\’'stem manag-
ment IO improve opt r8lsonal efficienciés''’ havi foc
usØò on water releases ct the rèscr voir level, «fter
aggregating its irrigaüon demands a1 different
hierarchical levels to this lev'el. The tc mppral variab iIity
nf reservoir in fÏoWs iS the primly source of uncertainty
in these s\uüies. They do not include the variability oŁ
disłribu •d demands in real time at th* field,
disiriòutary and oiher levels of the
irrigation requirements för real time oPerarion öf irriga-