73RD INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

Theme: Innovation and research in agriculture water management to achieve

sustainable development goals

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
 INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON
“MANAGING, ON THE REGIONAL, STATE OR
LOCAL LEVEL, WATER SCARCITY RESULTING
FROM CONFLICTING DEMANDS”
INTERBASIN TRANSFER FOR OVERCOMING WATER SCARCITY
J.Niharika, K.Venu Gopal
 

03 October 2022: 08:45-10:30 and 11:15 to 13:00 Hours

Adelaide, Australia

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
INTRODUCTION
 Water is a resource which is both scarce and plenty in space and time. Scarcity and plenty alternate, in
every region particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Intense rainfalls followed by prolonged dry spells
pose challenges to the water delivery to meet the demands.
 It is necessary to understand that water related issues, their different aspects, be it physical, environmental,
technological, economic or institutional are closely interrelated and are a part of the dynamic historical
process.
 Rain water conservation is taken up in large scale in rain fed areas. In regions where rainfall is too low in
addition to conservation, inter basin transfer from surplus to deficit areas gives long term solution to tide
over water scarcity.
 In Krishna and Pennar river basins of peninsular India the variations are so pronounced, transfer of water
from surplus to deficit areas was attempted on small scale by many rulers.
 K-C (Kurnool-Cuddapah canal), TBHLC(Tungabhadra Project High Level Canal), TBLLC(Tungabhadra
Project Low Level Canal) etc. are more than 125 years old were built during time of British to overcome
effects of scanty rainfall in Rayalaseema Region
 The sharing of water is based on annual allocations which results in upper riparian states using their full
entitlement before releasing to downstream areas.
 In this paper, one of the Krishna – Pennar links, Srisailam Right Branch Canal is studied for its benefits in
water stressed area Rayalaseema region, Andhra Pradesh.

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
 Figures showing location and details of Study Area

Figure1(d) Block commands of SRBC and

Observation well networks in command areas

Figure1(b).location of
Krishna- Pennar link

Figure 1(a).River
basins of India
Figure 1(c)Srisailam Right
Branch Canal(SRBC)

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
Study Area
Krishna-pennar link; Srisailam Right Branch Canal(SRBC):
 Krishna river takes origin in western Ghats, a chain of mountains to India’s Western Coast, where heavy
rains are received during south west monsoon is gradually followed by rain shadow regions where rainfall is
scanty.
 Adjacent basin Penna receives lowest rainfall where drought is a norm year after year.
 Quantum of Additional supplies from the surplus Western Ghats to rain shadow region of Krishna takes
place for severe drought prone area of south of Andhra Pradesh which is called as Rayalseema zone.
 Each rain drop is precious in Rayalaseema, a region comprising south western districts of Andhra Pradesh
State of India, whose rainfall is hardly 672mm.
 The basis for allocation of Krishna water to Riparian states Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh is
Bachawat Award. According to Krishna river tribunal, 800TMC.is allocated to Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra
Pradesh is entitled to use any surplus water going into the sea, over and above allotments made to the
states.

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
 The link that takes off from the foreshore of the existing
Srisailam reservoir is envisaged through a diversion canal
SRBC (Srisailam right branch canal) up to Banakacherla cross
regulator from where the water will be let-off into Nippulavagu
stream through an existing escape channel.
 The water reaches the Pennar river through natural streams
Nippulavaagu, Galeru and Kunderu
 The stretch between 0 to 53.3 Km has no ayacut, with canal
running below ground level up to Gorakallu balancing reservoir
 The canal starts serving the ayacut from Km 53.30 and the
Command area covers Gadivemula, Nandyal, Panyam,
Banaganapalli, Owk, Koilakuntla, Sanjamala and Uyyalawada
Mandals ( 8Nos) of Kurnool District and Peddamudium,
Mylavaram Mandals ( 2 Nos) of Kadapa District.
 The canal is proposed to be operated during six months from
July to December every year and envisages transfer of
2310Mm3 of water from Srisailam reservoir on Krishna to
Pennar river.
 The irrigated area is enclosed by canal on the west and river
Kundu on the East. Each distributary is on the ridge and drains Figure 2. Krishna-Pennar Link
into the river also forming block boundaries.

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
 The Gross command area of the ayacut is 97,386 ha. SRBC runs
for a length of 198 Km. SRBC has 21 blocks based on drainage
and ayacut served.
 This project was commissioned in 2004 with plan to annually
divert 538Mm3, to irrigate in 21 administrative blocks.
 Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (in 1973) has allocated 800
TMC(Thousand Million Cubic feet)of Krishna water to Andhra
Pradesh and also entitled 11 TMC as its share in the regenerated
water. In consonance with this, for utilising 19 TMC of Krishna
water, SRBC Scheme was formulated to irrigated 1.9lakh acres in
chronically famine-stricken area of Kurnool and Kadapa Districts
of Rayalaseema.

Figure 3. 21block commands of SRBC

and 137 Observation well network

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
Methodology
• The ground water table is analysed with reference to rainfall during pre-project period. The rise and fall
during post and pre project periods were studies in each block with particular reference to rainfall.
• Depth to Water levels: The Ground water Department of Andhra Pradesh is monitoring groundwater table
data since 1991.
• In addition to water table monitoring, the groundwater quality is also monitored for the pre and post
monsoon periods.
• For monitoring water table and quality, observation wells were established in each block. There are 137
observation wells as shown in figure, covering entire command area since 1990.
• Soil quality is also monitored at certain bench mark locations. The water table data of observation wells in
each block is averaged to get a single value reflecting average depth of water table in each block.
• The data pertaining to rainfall is collected from Mandal Head Quarters, where rain gauges are being
maintained by MRO’s.
• Inflows into Almatti dam are taken from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and Central Water
Commission (CWC) from public domain.
 
 

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
 Srisailam reservoir receives most inflows from Almatti and Tungabhadra dam and other minor basins.
Almatti which contributes substantially is situated at the end of Upper Krishna.
Rainfall,Cumulative Rainfall,Inflow and Outflow from Almatti
upto 30/09/2019

Rain fall/Cumulative Rainfall

8000000 1400
7000000 1200
6000000 1000
Inflow/Outflow 5000000
800
4000000
600
3000000
2000000 400
1000000 200
0 0
18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
0 6- 06- 06- 06- 06- 06- 07- 07- 07- 07- 07- 07- 07- 08- 08- 08- 08- 08- 08- 09- 09- 09- 09- 09- 09-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
01 06 11 16 21 26 01 06 11 16 21 26 31 05 10 15 20 25 30 04 09 14 19 24 29

Rainfall Axis Title Cumulative

rainfall
Inflows into Almatti in Cusecs outflows from
Almatti

Figure 4. Rainfall, cumulative rainfall, inflows and outflows from Almatti Dam
 During the year 2019 after 27th July, as seen from the Figure.4, a good amount of inflows of 27203mcft
were released into the downstream which fill D/s reservoirs like Srisailam and Nagarjuna sagar. After
meeting various requirements, the surplus water 563MCM released into SRBC.

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
 In Indian engineering practice, ‘surplus basins’ are defined as those which have a positive balance: i) more
than 75 % of assured annual river flow volume; and ii) in the total annual volume of all water demands,
projected up to the year 2050. Basins which have a negative balance of the above two components are
classified as ‘water deficient’.
 The study on dynamics of change in ground water levels during post and pre monsoon periods gives an
idea of improved ground water conditions after release of project water. Figures 5,6,7,8, shows raise in
groundwater levels in Block1-Block4 respectively since the year 1991. Due to increase in water availability,
there is an increase in intensity of crops grown.

Figure 5. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-I of SRBC Figure 6. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-II of SRBC
Command Command

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
Figure 7. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-IV of SRBC Command

Figure 8. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-III of SRBC

Command

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
 However, scenario is not same for all the blocks. There is a decline in ground water levels in blocks 17 -21.
Figures 9,10,11,12,13 shows declining trend of groundwater levels in blocks 17-21.

Figure 9. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-XVII of SRBC Command Figure 10. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-XVIII of SRBC
Command

Figure 11. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-XIX of SRBC Command

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
Figure 12. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-XX of SRBC Figure 13. Hydrograph of Average DTW of Block-XXI of SRBC
Command Command
• The potential to use groundwater post project has increased due to improvement in groundwater quality.
Conjunctive use of surface water along with groundwater improved ground water availability. Quality has
improved increasing the chances of using water efficiently.
• As SRBC is based on surplus water availability there is always uncertainty in water releases which calls for
better management interventions in future

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
 Scenario During this monsoon

 During this monsoon (2022-23), floods occurred

due to rainfall in basins below Almatti dam.
Normally reservoirs below Almatti were fed from
rainfall in upper catchment. During present
monsoon upper Krishna is in Red on a particular
date (15-07-2022) as shown in Figure 15. This
indicates dynamics of change in rainfall pattern.
The reservoirs are filled by rain from rain shadow
regions. It may be attributed to climate change.

Figure 15. Scenario of monsoon 2022-23

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
A Success story of Conjunctive use in block-4 of SRBC command
area-shared by farmers in Interaction:
 In places where groundwater quality is poor, i.e., saline in nature, borewells on either sides of canal were put
to use.
 Water from the wells, after meeting local demands, is put into the canal to serve requirements of tail end
farmers.
 Nearly 12 borewells were put into use on either sides of distributary to send water from Konidedu to
Bupanapadu village, an approximate distance of 5KM.
 This water met the needs of about 500acres as lifesaving irrigation for one or two wettings for chilli crop.
 11 borewells were put to use on minor distributary 2R to send water from Konidedu to Alumuru village after
meeting their needs at Konidedu.
 This water met the need of about 15acres for raising paddy crop nursery in the month of August when water
releases in the canal are delayed are explained almost entirely by the proportion of irrigation served by tube
wells and not at all by the annual variations in rainfall.
 The intensity of irrigation rises under tube well irrigation regardless of the variations in rainfall. This practice
is followed in the years in block 4 of SRBC command.

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
 CONCLUSION
 With availability of surface water in Post project years, there is a considerable change in hydrology of the
area and improvement of the average depth of water table.
 Water table now ranges from 3-8m in the study area. This is due to increased recharge from the surface
irrigation. Groundwater quality post inter basin transfer has improved.
 But through discussions with farmers, it is identified that, some areas are prone to water logging conditions
and significant portion of surface and groundwater is being underutilised in some areas.
 Though conjunctive use is being practiced already, it is required to implement planned conjunctive use as
there is a threat of water logging in some areas and underutilised groundwater in some areas.
 Over the last few decades, groundwater has been the major source for meeting increasing demand in all
sectors. It is highly likely that this trend will continue. In places where the groundwater quality is poor and in
places which are on the verge of over exploitation, the surface water, when brought through inter basin
transfer will narrow the gap between demand and supply. It also reduces pressures on water resources for
the proposed command area. However, without careful integrated planning and analysis, the proposed high
investment schemes might not be able to operate as planned and eventually might not deliver the expected
long-term benefits.

24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
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24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
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24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
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24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting

3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia
24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 73 rd IEC Meeting
3-10 October 2022, Adelaide, Australia