Rehab modernization
- 1. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE “Rehabilitation and Modernization- Need and Scope” by DR. ASHISH PANDEY Associate Professor Department of Water Resources Development and Management IIT Roorkee-247 667 (UK), India E-mail: [email protected]
- 2. 2 DEFINITIONS Rehabilitation: is the process of renovating an existing project, whose performance is failing to meet its original objectives, in order to meet the original or enhanced technical, social or economic objectives. Modernization is the process of updating and improving an existing project which otherwise is meeting its original objectives, in order to meet enhanced technical, social or economic objectives. Maintenance is the process of keeping the irrigation, drainage and any other infrastructural facilities in good repair and working order, fulfilling the intentions for which they were originally designed.
- 3. 3 Necessity of Users Involvement in Modernization Programme • Modernization programme should be associated with programs for increasing farmers participation. • Modernization & farmers participation are two programs which are self supporting. • Recent experience of Mexico which combined these two programs demonstrate that users association are very active players in modernization of system as they take full responsibility.
- 4. 4 Detailing of Concept of Modernization of Canal System • Irrigation modernization is a process of technical and managerial upgrading combined with institutional reforms. • Modernization can be modest with only simple improvement such as lining of net-work of distribution channels. • For change from usual rotational fixed delivery schedule to more flexible demand driven schedule, modernization involves great deal more in adding precise water measuring & controlled regulation devices. • The process of modernization also attempts to make irrigation scheme more responsive to the farmers needs.
- 5. 5 Evaluation of Programs of Rehabilitation • Unfortunately, the past rehabilitation programms, specially in Asian regions, have often failed to improve or even sustain performance. • Rehabilitation should not be simply re-establishment of original designs, but should consider modifications on to reflect operational past experience. • More systematic diagnosis of scheme level problem to ensure that physical improvement contribute directly to a workable irrigation service plan. • A more reliable approach to water control is needed.
- 6. 6 MAIN OBJECTIVES OF REHABILITATION & MODERNIZATION • An Irrigation system must be responsible to farmers need and be flexible . • Water supply and demand should match as closely as possible, to allow higher cropping intensities. • Losses of irrigation supply must be minimized. • System be operated efficiently and maintained carefully & economically • To ensure sustainability, it may require involvement of water users in over all management.
- 7. 7 Need For Rehabilitation/Modernization Collective study of available literature shows that main deficiencies in irrigation projects are related to following aspects: 1. Engineering: • Reappraisal of available surface and ground water and return flow from irrigation. • Silting of reservoirs; conducting sedimentation surveys and measures to prevent silting. • Insufficient number of hydrological and meteorological stations in catchment and command areas. • Excessive seepage and need for determining it. Lining of canal is required. Transit losses in the alluvial plains of North India are 17 percent for main canals; 8 percent at branches and distributaries and 20 percent for water courses which give a total loss of 45 percent of the water entering the canal head. Then, there are further losses in the field itself, and these have been estimated at 30 percent of the supply reaching the field, or 17 percent of the head discharge. • Thus, the total loss is 62% of water at the head gate, for a total project efficiency of 38%.
- 8. 8 With channel lining and good management, an overall project efficiency of 60% is economically attainable in India, or about 50% more land can be irrigated from the same initial supply of water. i. Tail reaches do not get enough irrigation water. There is over irrigation in head reaches of distribution network. ii. Absence of conjunctive use of surface and ground water. iii. Salinity in soils and ground water. iv. Inadequate drainage system v. Bad maintenance of canal system. Untrained staff, limited maintenance grants. vi. Improper operation of reservoir and canal system. Decisions are adhoc and not based on system approach. vii. Canal cannot carry design discharge. viii. Insufficient canal structures and their improper maintenance. ix. Lack of communication facilities in the command. x. Lack of field channels and proper maintenance. xi. Improper water management. xii. Waterlogging in irrigated areas.
- 9. 9 Agronomy: i. Improper cropping calendar and cropping patterns. ii. Lack of research to determine water requirement of crops. iii. Lack of research to determine suitable type of crops to suit the soils in command. iv. Poor extension services, lack of pilot projects, demonstration farms etc. v. Lack of detailed soil surveys of command area. vi. Excessive application of irrigation water to crops. • An irrigation scheme can only function properly if design, construction, operation and maintenance are adequate. A default in any of these phases may require rehabilitation works. Inadequate operation and maintenance is perhaps the most frequent cause for the need of rehabilitation, especially in developing countries. In particular insufficient maintenance may render an irrigation scheme completely obsolete and unable to meet the project objectives.
- 10. 10 COMPONENTS • The objective of modernization of canal irrigation is to bring significant increase in crop production per unit of available water and land at economic cost. This requires improvements of the following significant components. However, the proposed improvements must be preceded by diagnostic field study to find values and constraints of existing project. Canal Lining • High yielding varieties of crops need assured water supply. India has limited water resources and so conservation of the same by lining of the conveyance system is a must. Therefore, it is necessary not to confine lining only upto canal and distributory system, but to extend it in the canal commands in blocks of up to 8 hectares, so as to contain seepage losses on an average of 35 percent in the fields itself beyond the outlets.
- 11. 11 Conjunctive Use Availability of groundwater in the command areas of existing surface irrigation projects has increased over the years. Use of groundwater and irrigation drainage should be planned properly. Ground water resource is not available in unlimited quantity and its exploitation requires careful planning, so that the ground water table is not lowered beyond economic pumpage limit. Power is a big constraint and its use is to be minimum while planning for use of ground water. Means of making combined or conjunctive use of surface and ground water are as follows: • Irrigation of pockets exclusively with ground water in a canal command especially where the terrain is uneven. • Augmentation of canal water by putting tube wells along the canal. • Conjunctive use of ground water during the period of low canal supply or during canal closures. Modernization of Structures • Modernization of canal structures viz. Head Regulators, Cross Regulator, Cross Drainage, Works, falls, Bridges, Escapes etc. shall direct following benefits in the canal system: • Capability to pass designed discharge at every point in the canal system. • Replacement of old obsolete plank controlled regulators by steel gated regulators shall ensure better operational efficiency and saving of water. • Development of capability to remove sediment in canal system so as to maintain uniform capacity of big as well as small channels in monsoon. • Introduction of water measuring devices shall ensure timely and equitable distribution of supplies and will be useful in evaluation of distribution efficiencies. • It would be possible to adopt user oriented canal operation policy.
- 12. 12 Remodeling and Construction of Additional Escapes It is very necessary to provide adequate numbers of escapes in major canal on suitable locations to enable the canals to be run with full discharge even during monsoon season without any danger of breach in case of sudden no demand due to rainfall. The escaping capacity on a major canals system has got to be at least 75 percent of the head discharge of a canal. Provision of New Escapes of remodeling of the existing inadequate escapes has got to be done on the above principle. Improvement of Drainages in the Command The drainage system in the canal command has got to be reshaped drastically with the introduction of large number of artificial drains, construction of link drains and to improving capacity of natural drainages. It shall also be necessary to construct carrier as well as link drains up-to natural drainages to effectively control canal seepages. Improvement of Tele-communication on Canal Systems Communication is an important factor for efficient running of canal system. The communication system needs modernization. Dependable communication system is a pre-requisite to improve canal system operation and management efficiencies.
- 13. 13 Canal Service Roads The canal service roads at present are generally kaccha and are unserviceable particularly in monsoon season. At present motorized transport needs metalling of the canal service roads to render all weather communication, leading to efficiency of inspections and better operation and maintenance of works. Engineering Infrastructures The existing status of engineering infrastructures such as communication systems, inspection houses, residential and non-residential buildings, vehicle facilities etc. are not adequate to meet the present day requirement of effective management and operational efficiency. These have to be adequate. On-Farm Development Works To ensure equitable and reliable water supply distribution, some of the essential features of modernization of O.F.D works are as below: i) Lining of Water Courses: Lining upto 8 hectares blocks in the command shall result in saving of water upto 35 percent in the fields, thereby ensuring uniform availability of water to the farmers. The additional cost of lining of water courses shall be balanced by the value of water saved and also number of other indirect benefits accruing there from to the farmers.
- 14. 14 ii) Land Leveling: This shall make possible efficient and effective utilization of irrigation in the command. Detailed survey of the areas, preparation of contour maps and other relative activities should be undertaken simultaneously with the implementation of an Irrigation Project. iii) Farm Drainage: The programme shall entail construction of adequate artificial drains linked to natural drainage in the canal command. The farm drainage shall not allow surface water to accumulate in fields so as to retard crop growth. iv) Field Application Methods: Introduction of modern fields application method like Sprinkler Irrigation, should be examined as per country side conditions, type of crop and soil in order to reduce water wastage and bring more land under irrigation within the limited available supplies. v) Outlets: The outlets have to be so designed that these cannot be easily tempered with or manipulated by the cultivators, to ensure equitable distribution of water to the farmers. Adjustable proportionate Module (A.P.M.) has been put to use in Haryana and Punjab and are functioning satisfactory. vi) Credit and Marketing Facilities: Intensive farming places a great demand on resources of farmer. Appropriate Institutional Finance Framework in the co-operative sector has to be put up to meet the enhanced requirement of irrigated farming. Similarly appropriate agencies should be set up in co-operative sectors to handle the increased produce of farmers and to ensure remunerative price to them.
- 15. 15 Training Modern irrigation has developed into a complex multi- disciplinary technology, involving engineering hydrology, agronomy, agricultural economic, socio-economic and management science. At present irrigation engineers lack experience of working with inter-disciplinary approach to identify problems in the ongoing systems and to develop appropriate remedies. Project manager should have adequate knowledge of improved varieties of seeds, balance and adequate use of fertilizers, use of pesticides and Micro-nutrients, improved methods of application of water and transfer of technology from laboratory to field to ensure maximum agricultural produce and boosting agricultural economy. It is, therefore, very essential that Irrigation Engineers are given Multi-disciplinary training in Modern Irrigated Agriculture Management before being inducted in regular service. Culturable Command Area Generally it is found that actual CCA below the outlets is lower than what was envisaged in the original project. A detailed contour map of project command with contour intervals of 0.25 m or so depending upon the topography should be prepared and project command reassessed. Crop Planning Trend in cropping patterns indicate that farmers switch over to cash crops under irrigated agriculture. Crop planning must be realistic reflecting aspirations of farmers as well as strategy to bring required changes in cropping pattern. Accurate knowledge of crop behavior and crop water requirements is necessary. Economic Viability Modernization projects must envisage achieving yields 2 to 3 times the yields under average irrigated conditions at present. Cost per unit of additional water saved or provided must be less than cost per unit of irrigation water for a new project. Staff Staff of the irrigation department should be capable of monitoring the construction programme particularly for OFD works. Much of the success of a modernization project depends upon management efficiency during operation stage. Jurisdiction of staff should be as given below: Section Officer 2000 to 3000 ha Sub-divisional Officer 8000 to 12000 ha Executive Engineer 40000 to 60000 ha Superintending Engineer 200,000 ha
- 16. Relative Importance Conveyance and Distribution Systems • The rehabilitation and modernization of conveyance and distribution systems always have structural components. In many cases, work is only directed towards the rehabilitation of the channels. Other matters of great interest or concern to management are: • the adoption of new delivery scheduling methods; • the automation of the conveyance and distribution networks, including the automation and remote control of the diversion, regulation and delivery structures and the use of computers in the operation of the systems; the automation of pumping station. • Relative importance of different items is given in table 1. There is not an identity of view between different countries and experts. Table 1 show that there are different priorities on important questions between the non-European (Group I) and the European (Group II) countries: Table 1: Conveyance and distribution systems - relative importance by grouping and between rehabilitation and modernization Items Rehabilitation Modernization Group I Importance Group II Importance Group I Importance Group II Importance Canal losses 4 5 3 4 Canal lining 4 4 3 3 Canal remodeling 3 3 2 3 Control/regulation structures 4 3 4 5 Water measurement 4 4 5 5 Remodeling the distribution system 3 3 4 5 Delivery scheduling 2 3 4 5 Automation 1 3 2 5 Pumping stations 2 3 4 3 Conjunction use of ground and surface water 1 2 2 3 Operation & Maintenance 4 5 4 5 1- Low Importance, 5- High Importance
- 17. 17 On-Farm Irrigation • In the past, importance has been placed on the R&M of the conveyance and distribution systems with too little emphasis on the R&M of the on-farm irrigation system. The information given in Table 2 shows that there is now an awareness of the very high importance which should be given to on-farm irrigation in R&M process. • A comparison of concepts and policies from non-European (Group 1) and European (Group 2) countries is also given in Table 2. Table 2: On-farm irrigation-relative importance by grouping and between rehabilitation and modernization Items Rehabilitation Modernization Group I Importance Group II Importance Group I Importance Group II Importance Proper irrigation techniques 4 4 5 5 Changing the irrigation methods 3 3 3 4 Coupling irrigation techniques with agricultural practices 4 5 4 5 Land reclamation 3 3 4 3 Improvement of soil use 4 4 5 4 Soil management 4 3 5 4 Land levelling 3 4 3 3 Irrigation scheduling 4 4 4 5 Improvement of irrigation efficiencies 5 5 5 5 Automation 1 2 2 5 Farm management 3 3 3 4
- 18. 18 Drainage The need to rehabilitate or modernize irrigation projects often arises from drainage and salinity problems. Concepts and policies and their relative importance are given in Table 3. Differences in approach to drainage in different countries, whether for rehabilitation or modernization, are also shown in Table 3. Table 3: Drainage-relative importance by grouping and between rehabilitation and modernization Items Rehabilitation Modernization Group I Importance Group II Importance Group I Importance Group II Importance Water table/groundwater control 3 4 2 4 Waterlogging/surface water 4 3 3 4 Disposal drainage systems 5 4 3 3 On farm drainage 4 4 3 5 Completion of surface water drainage systems 2 3 3 4 Operation and maintenance 5 5 4 5 Salinity related to the use saline waters 2 2 1 3 Salinity arising from excess irrigation losses at farm level 2 2 2 2 Salinity arising from water losses in the irrigation distribution system 2 2 2 2 Management of saline & alkali soils 3 2 2 3 Coupling irrigation & drainage 4 3 3 5
- 19. 19 Operation and Management • The need to consider non-structural measures in Rehabilitation and Modernization is shown in Table 4. Difference in approach to operation and management between non-European (Group 1) and European (Ground 2) countries are also compared. Items Rehabilitation Modernization Group I Importance Group II Importance Group I Importance Group II Importance Operation & management systems 5 5 3 5 Rural infrastructure (roads, energy, workshops, storage, facilities etc.) 4 3 3 4 Monitoring & evaluation 4 3 3 4 Training facilities 3 5 3 5 Farmer participation 5 4 3 5 Farmer education 4 4 3 5 Coupling water management services with extension services 4 4 4 5 Social administration & communication 4 2 4 3 Policies on water/irrigation management 4 4 4 5 Policies on water prices 4 3 5 5 Available technologies 3 3 3 4 Research on irrigation/water management 4 3 5 5 Table 4: Operation and management-relative importance by grouping and between rehabilitation and modernization
- 20. 20 Agricultural Structures The rehabilitation and modernization of irrigation and drainage are essentially improvements in the infrastructure for the benefit of agricultural production. The relative importance of agricultural aspects is shown in Table 5. The relative importance by grouping of agricultural aspects is also shown. Table 5: Agricultural aspects-relative importance by grouping Items Rehabilitation Modernization Group I Importance Group II Importance Group I Importance Group II Importance Appropriate technologies 5 4 4 4 Extension 5 4 4 5 Support by research and experimentation 5 4 5 5 Land tenure/land consolidation 3 3 3 5 Improvement of farm structure 5 3 4 5 Agricultural policies 5 3 5 5 Credit policies 4 4 4 5 Social & cultural aspects (family, women, etc.) 5 4 3 4
- 21. IDENTIFICATION OF PRIORITIES (a) Conveyance and distribution systems • Operation and management of diversion, control and delivery structures including automatic control, computerization, and real-time operation; remodeling of water control structures for regulation of water level and discharges, including automatic and remote control; remodeling to provide a delivery system to meet the needs of farmers and programmers of irrigation scheduling; Measurement of water levels and discharge for improving operation and management. (b) On-farm irrigation • Improving or changing irrigation methods for higher irrigation efficiencies, energy savings and labour productivity; Combining irrigation techniques and agricultural practices for the development of more efficient and coherent irrigated farming system; Coupling soil and water management for the improvement of land use and water resource development; Development of irrigation scheduling programs; Progressive automation of on-farm irrigation systems. (c) Drainage • Coupling irrigation and drainage systems for the intensification of agricultural production and controlling salinity; developing on-farm drainage for on-farm soil and water management; O & M particularly for keeping drainage system (including disposal) in effective operating condition; completing the drainage system, particularly for surface water drainage.
- 22. 22 (d) Small Irrigation Systems • Improvement of storage and facilities upstream control and diversion structures to increase water availability; Improvement of conveyance and distribution systems to avoid water losses; Adaption of delivery systems to cater for on-farm demands; Improvement in O & M services, particularly by organizational and institutional arrangements. (e) Operation, Maintenance and Management • Improvement of organizational and institutional arrangements for operation, maintenance and management; development of education and training programmes for O & M staff and farmers; adjusting water price policies to the objectives of rehabilitation and modernization, that is creating the appropriate incentives and penalties; Research and experimentation on irrigation practices and water management at farm, project and regional level; Coordinating water management services with extension services; adjusting policies on water/irrigation management to the aims of rehabilitating and modernizing irrigation project; development of effective programs for monitoring and evaluating irrigation projects, including on-farm performances. (f) Agricultural Structures • Adjustment of agricultural policies, particularly credit policies to the needs and objectives of rehabilitation and modernization; improvement of farm structures for modern irrigated farming; research and experimentation activities to provide farmers with appropriate irrigation, drainage and agricultural technology and the transfer of this technology; Development of helpful extension activities, to interest the farmer in adopting appropriate farming and irrigation practices; Implementation of social, educational and cultural programs for the creation of favorable environment for development.
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