AEM 403-IRRIGATION ENGINEERING (3)

UNIT-1

Prepared by:
Dr. Anjitha Krishna P. R.
Asst. Professor (Faculty of Agrl. Engg.)
DEI, Agra
 Syllabus of AEM 403
 Unit1
 Major and medium irrigation schemes of India, purpose of irrigation, environmental impact
of irrigation projects, source of irrigation water, present status of development and
utilization of different water resources of the country
 Unit2
 Measurement of irrigation water: weir, flumes and orifices and other methods; open
channel water conveyance system : design and lining of irrigation field channels, on farm
structures for water conveyance, control & distribution;
 Unit3
 Underground pipe conveyance system: components and design; land grading: criteria for
land levelling, land levelling design methods, estimation of earth work;
 Unit4
 Soil water plant relationship: soil properties influencing irrigation management, soil water
movement, infiltration, soil water potential, soil moisture characteristics, soil moisture
constants, measurement of soil moisture, moisture stress and plant response;
 Unit5
 Water requirement of crops: concept of evapotranspiration (ET), measurement and
estimation of ET, water and irrigation requirement of crops, depth of irrigation, frequency
of irrigation, irrigation efficiencies; surface methods of water application: border, check
basin and furrow irrigation- adaptability, specification and design considerations.
 Contents

 1. Major and medium irrigation schemes of India

 2. Purpose of irrigation
 3. Environmental impact of irrigation projects
 4. Sources of irrigation water
 5. Present status of development and utilization of different
water resources of the country (Assignment)
World’s worst recorded food
disaster
happened in 1943
Expansion of farming areas
Double cropping Irrigation

Improved seed genetics

 Introduction

 Definition of irrigation:

“science of artificial application of water to the soil

according to water requirement of the crop throughout
crop period for full-fledged nourishment of the crop
(Garg, 1996)
 Deficit irrigation can be provided under limited water
availability
 Purpose of irrigation
• To supply the crop water requirement
• To meet water requirement for field preparation
• To meet water requirement for climate control (cooling, frost control)
• To meet leaching requirement
• Advantages

• Increases agriculture productivity and allows multiple cropping

• Reduces risk of crop failures
• Improves socioeconomic conditions of farmers
• Disadvantages

• Excessive irrigation → reduced yield, leaching of chemicals, water logging,

salinity
• Groundwater exploitation
 Sources of irrigation water
 Surface water resources
 Soil profile, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, rivers
 Main source: runoff from rain and snow melt

 Groundwater resources-aquifers
 Utilized by constructing wells and installing water lifts or pumps

 Contributes to about 50% irrigation water

 Types of irrigation depending on location of source
 Flow irrigation: water reaches field by gravity flow

 Lift irrigation: water to be raised or lifted from source

 Sources of irrigation water (cont..)
 River systems of India
 Himalayan rivers: continuous flow throughout the year (i.e. perennial)
 Indus, Brahmaputra, Ganga etc.

 Deccan rivers: Rainfed rivers, non-perennial

 Narmada, Tapi, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri etc.

 Coastal rivers: short in length and have limited catchment area

 Vaigai, Sharavati, Periyar etc.

 Rivers of inland drainage basins: no outlet to the sea

 Saraswati, Machhu, Luni etc.

 Sources of irrigation water (cont..)
 Groundwater resources-two components
 Static resources: not regularly replenished on annual basis

 Dynamic resources: replenished annually

 Groundwater regions of India

 unconsolidated formations: sand, gravel, boulder, laterites, silt and clays
 yield substantially

 semi consolidated formations: sandstones, limestones, and conglomerates

 yield is moderate

 consolidated hard rock formations: crystalline, metamorphic, volcanic,

sedimentary and meta-sedimentary rocks
 Water yield is low
 Irrigation schemes of India
Classification based on culturable command area
 Major irrigation schemes

 Culturable command area of ≥ 10,000 ha

 Medium irrigation schemes
 Culturable command area of 2000 to 10,000 ha

 Minor irrigation schemes

 Culturable command area of ≤ 2,000 ha

•Gross command area (GCA) : Total area that can be irrigated by a project
•Culturable command area (CCA): GCA minus area covered by roads, culvers,
villages, and other areas not available for cultivation)
 Irrigation schemes of India (cont…)

Classification of major and medium irrigation (MMI) projects based on

irrigation method applied
 Direct irrigation method

 Construction of a diversion structure like weir or barrage across the stream

having adequate perennial supply
 Practiced in deltaic tracts that is, in areas having even and plane topography

 Indirect or Storage Irrigation Method

 Water is stored in a reservoir during monsoon by construction of a dam

across the river and it is diverted to the fields through a network of canals
during the dry period
 Adopted where the river is not perennial or flow in the river is inadequate
during lean period
 Environmental impact assessment (EIA)
“the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical,
social and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major
decisions being taken and commitments made”

Fig. 1. Steps of EIA

 Environmental impacts of irrigation projects
 Deforestation
 Land slides

 Submergence of land and human settlements

 Influence on aquatic and riparian life
 Drowning of wildlife and flora

 Reservoir induced seismicity

 Effects on river flow regimes-water quality, sediment load

 Threat from older dams

 Effect of canal irrigation: disruption to natural drainage, water logging
and salinity in command areas
 5. Present status of development and utilization
of different water resources of the country
(Assignment)
 Irrigation potential of India-area data
 What are the central government institutions involved
in water resource development and management in
India ?
 River basin wise irrigation potential
 Examples of major, medium and minor irrigation
projects