Kshipra Sub Basin - Asian Development Bank

Support to the National Water Mission NAPCC
Appendix 3 Kshipra Sub Basin
6. Options for Irrigation
132. Concerning irrigation and groundwater resources 25 it is necessary to identify the main fractions
of water when it reaches a permeable soil. One of the potential consequences of improved irrigation
water-use efficiency is further deterioration of groundwater resources due to shifting to spray irrigation
from flood irrigation resulting in loss of return flows to aquifers. The water and energy saved is often
used to extend the irrigation command area resulting in further loss of return flow to groundwater. A
schematic of the utilisation and fate of water applied to permeable soil and their relationships with
groundwater resources and irrigation management is shown in Figure 42.
Figure 42: Linkage of Surface and Groundwater Resources
133. In irrigated systems, the only real savings to groundwater can be achieved where modifications
to irrigations and cropping-practices reduce the 'non-beneficial evapotranspiration'. If more water
savings are needed, than consideration should be given to explore options for switching to cultivation
of less water-consuming crops or crop-strains (with shorter growing season, or suited to cooler periods
when potential evaporation and transpiration are lower). In some areas, it may be appropriate to
restrict cultivation of certain types of irrigated crops in the critical groundwater areas. Dewandel et al.
(2010) 26 modelled the impact on changes in cropping patterns (switch from rice to vegetables) in a
hard rock aquifer system in a watershed in Andhra Pradesh and reported significant recoveries of
water tables.
7. Options for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater
134. Artificial recharge (AR) systems are engineered systems where surface water is put on or in
the ground for infiltration and subsequent movement to aquifers to augment groundwater resources.
AR requires permeable surface soils to infiltrate to the aquifers. Where this is not available trenches or
shafts in the unsaturated zone can be used. To design a system for artificial recharge of groundwater,
infiltration rates of the soil must be determined and the unsaturated zone between land surface and
the aquifer must be checked for adequate permeability and absence of polluted areas. The aquifer
should be sufficiently transmissive to avoid excessive build up of groundwater mounds. Knowledge of
these conditions requires field investigations and, if no fatal flaws are detected, test basins to predict
system performance (Bouwer, 2002) 27 .
135. Some water conservation and artificial recharge projects have been undertaken in the broader
Chambal basin in Dewas and Indore districts (CGWB North Central Region, 2007 and 2009). In
25 Foster, S. and Perry, C. (2010) Improving groundwater resource accounting in irrigated areas: a prerequisite
for promoting sustainable use. Hydrogeological Journal, 18:291-294.
26 Dewandel et al. (2010) Development of a tool for managing groundwater resources in semi-arid hard rock
regions: application to a rural watershed in South India. Hydrol. Processes, 24, 2784–2797.
27 Bouwer, H. (2002) Artificial recharge of groundwater: hydrogeology and engineering. Hydrogeology Journal,
10:121-142.
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