Optimization of water resources for irrigation in Dinajpur and Rangpur, East Pakistan. Item Type Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); text Authors Karim, Muhammad Abdul,1940- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 02/10/2021 10:56:42 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/191493 OFTIMIATION OF WATER RESOURCES FOR IRRIGATION IN DINAJPUR AND RANGPUR, EAST PAKISTAN by Muhammad A. Karim A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the CONNITTEE ON HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1968 STATEMEN'r BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfill- ment of requirements for an advanced degree at The Univer- sity of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permis- sion for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate Col- lege when in his judgment the proposed use of thematerial is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGD 4n APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: EUGEHE S. SIIVIIPSON Professor of Hydrology AC KNO WI FUDGMENIS The author is greatly indebted to Dr. Eugene S. Simpson, thesis director, for his valuable suggestions and guidance in accomplishing this task. Special thanks are due to the Personnel of the International Engineering Company, Inc., and the Direc- torate of Hydrology, East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority, Dacca, East Pakistan, for com- pilation of hydrologic data as needed for this study. The author is grateful to Dr. Daniel D. Evans, Chairman of the Committee on Hydrology and Water Resources, and to Dr. Jerome J. Wright for their guidance and encouragement. The author is indebted to East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for providing the opportunity and facilities for training the author in hydrology. 111 TABLE OF CONTEN'IS Page LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS viii ABSTRACT ix CHABTER I IWDRODUCTION 1 II GENTRAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA 4 Location 4 Topography and Drainage 4 Soils 6 Geology 6 Climate and Hydrology 7 Available Surface Water for Irrigation 11 Available Ground Water Storage . 13 III AQUIFER CHARACTERISTICS AND PERFORMANCE OF TUE WELL 16 Kozeny Method 17 Hantush Method 20 Kraijenhoff Method 22 Performance of Wells 26 Ill FUTURE CROP AND IRRIGATION NEEDS 32 Need for Irrigation 32 Irrigation Water Requirements 32 iv V Page V T EFFECT OF A WELL ON THE FLOW OF A ]NEAREY STREAM 44 VI ECONOMIC SPACING OF WELLS 51 VII ECONOMY OF DEEP WELLS VIII SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 60 REFERENCES 63 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 General Characteristics of the Material Penetrated in the Drillings 8 2 Mean Monthly Rainfall for Dinajpur, East Pakistan,1900-1962 9 3 Mean Monthly Rainfall for Rangpur, East Pakistan,1900-1960 10 Summary Results of Computing Evapotranspira- tion and Water Balance - after Thornthwaite and Mather(1957) 15 5 Transmissivity by Kozeny Method 20 6 Transmissivity by Hantush Method(196)4) 23 7 Transmissivity by Kraijenhoff Method(1958) 26 8 Summary Results of Transmissivity and Stor- age Coefficient of Aquifer 27 9 Suggested Future Cropping Patterns in Dinajpur and Rangpur Districts, East Pakistan 33 10 Monthly Consumptive Use Dinajpur and Rangpur Districts, East Pakistan 36 11 Consumptive Use of Water for the Suggested Future Crops after Blaney-Criddle(1966) for 100 Acres of Farm Land in Dinajpur and Rangpur, East Pakistan 37 12 Consumptive Use Based on Thornthwaite(19)48) in Dinajpur and Rangpur Districts, East Pakistan 38 vi vii Table Page 13 Future Agriculture Production in the Project Area 42 Expected Annual Income and Benefits in the Project Area (per 100 Acres) )43 15 Estimated Annual Cost per Acre in Ground 5)4 Water Irrigation Project Dinajpur . 16 Estimated Annual Cost of Items for380 Tubewells in Dinajpur Districts 55 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 Location Map of East Pakistan 2 2 Location Map of Groundwater Projects, Dinajpur and Rangpur Districts S 3 A. Hydrograph of Karatoa(1963-196)4) B. Hydrograph of Tangon(1962-1963). 12 Ease Discharge of Tangon River versus Time 25 5 Graph for Determining Potential Evapotrans- piration after Thornthwaite(19)48) . 39 6 Rainfall and Irrigation Demand (based on 90%dry year and land use) after Blaney- Criddle(1966) 7 Graph for Determining the Portion of Well- Discharge Furnished by a Nearby River after Glover and Balmer(195)4) 8 Graph for Determining the Portion of Well- Discharge Furnished by a Nearby River after Hantush(196)4) )49 viii ABSTRACT An area of about 300,000 acres in Dinajpur and Rangpur districts will be irrigated by the combination of pumpage from the Tangon and Karatoa rivers and from about 1000 wells located between the rivers. It was calculated that the lowering of the water table 12-15 feet, as needed for irrigation, due to pumpage from the underground will stop or severely limit the accretion to the stream flow from underground. The Tangon will, in absence of accretion to the stream from the underground, cease to flow during the irrigation season. Likewise the flow of Karatoa, in absence of accretion to the stream from the underground will be reduced to about 153 cfs which can be used to irrigate 15,000 acres along the banks of rivers only. The average discharge of 2.5 cfs over a 150-day interval of wells located 3000 feet apart will not exceed the average annual recharge of 2.8 feet to the aquifer from precipitation. This particular arrangement was examined from the relationship of aquifer characteristics - trans- missivity 120,000 gpd/ft and the storage coefficient0.20. The resulting calculated benefit-cost ratio of thebenefit ix x of crops produced from assured irrigation to the cost of construction of wells275feet deep is2:1. If the average aquifer properties remain constant at depths greater than275feet, better economy will result by drilling wells deeper than275feet. CHAPTER I INR0DUCTI0N Iring between2005!arid 26°)Q!north latitude and88° 03 and92°)40' east longitude, East Pakistan is a major part of the Ganges-Bhramaputra-Megna delta which is roughly twice the size of. the Mississippi delta, Fig. 1. With about 1,000 people per square mile, the area has one of the densest rural populations in the world. The climate is characterized by a wet season from June to October when average precipitation totals about 70 inches, and a dry season from November to February when precipitation totals about3inches. The months of March through May have a total rainfall of about 10 0 0 inches but temperature averages90F to95F; conse- quently these months have the greatest moisture deficiency. Until recent years, little or no attempt was made to irrigate during the dry months and the fields remained barren. A program is now underway to provide irrigation water from wells and streams wherever possible. Since many streams go dry from March toMay, the main dependence for irrigation water is on wells. Even for the perennial streams, only run-of--the-river water is available, since 1 2 GENERAL MAP INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY '- ' ---- DISTRICT BOUNDARY RIVERS AND STREAMS IMPORTANT CITIES STUDY AREA SCALE .0 20 50 MILES BOGRA SYLHET MYMENSINGH R A.J S H AH I MEGIIN FAR I D PUR GA RA I S JESSORE KHULNA THE GA OF COX'S BAZAR BEN F BA'? Figure 1.Location Map of East Pakistan 3 the country is too fiat to construct dams. On the other hand, the reserve of subsurface water is very large since the alluvium is thousands of feet thick (maximum thick- ness unknown). The development of the ground water basin constitutes the most important means to attain optimum utilization of the available water resources. It is anticipated that up to 300,000 acres of land will be irri- gated in this area by a combination of pumpage from the Tangon and Karatoa rivers and from about 1,000 wells situated between the rivers. Since stream discharge is supported by effluent seepage, there undoubtedly will be a lessening of stream flow when the wells are pumped. This effect on stream flow will be most severe near the end of the irrigation period when stream flow is lowest and the demand is highest. This creates a unique prob- lem: how best to supply a sufficient quantity of water at all points of the system, at the time of the greatest demand. This, in turn, demands full knowledge of the operational characteristics and capabilities of the under- ground reservoir and its relationship with the surface storage. CHAPTER II GENIRAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA Location The area to be irrigated by the pumpage from the underground reservoir and possibly pumpage from the stream is shown in Fig. 2. This area is relatively high and most of it is denied irrigation water from streams because of its loca- tion beyond the reach of the surface diversion. Topography and Drainage The area consists largely of the piedmont plain built up by alluvial fan deposits originating in the foothills of the Himalayas, and carried by the rivers Teesta, Karatoa and their tributaries.