Conjunctive Irrigation Through Groundwater for Crop Production in Eastern India
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XA0202716 IC/IR/2002/10 INTERNAL REPORT (Limited Distribution) United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization and International Atomic Energy Agency THE ABDUS SALAM INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS CONJUNCTIVE IRRIGATION THROUGH GROUNDWATER FOR CROP PRODUCTION IN EASTERN INDIA S.S. Singh Land, Water, Environment & Engineering Research Programme, ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Walmi Complex, Phulwari Sharif, Patna-801 505, India A.R. Khan* Land, Water, Environment and Engineering Research Programme 1CAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Walmi Complex, P.O. Phulwari Sharif, Patna- 801 505, India and The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy J.P.Singh1 and S.R.Singh2 Land, Water, Environment and Engineering Research Programme 1CAR Research Complex for Eastern Region,Walmi Complex, P.O. Phulwari Sharif, Patna- 801 505, India. MIRAMARE -TRIESTE May 2002 * Regular Associate of the Abdus Salam ICTP. 1 Chief Scientist & Officer -in- Charge, Irrigation Research Station, Rajendra Agril. University, Bikramganj, Rohtas , Bihar - 802 212, India. 2 Vice Chancellor, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar- 848 125, India. Abstract Ground water is the most reliable source for irrigation, quantum of which varies from place to place, rainfall, infiltration, geographical strata and surface ecology. The development of ground water in conjunction with surface within canal commands not only assures a reliable source of irrigation, it also helps in alleviation of water logging in the command due to excess seepage and unscientific water use by facilitating vertical drainage mechanism. The ground water resource needs to be developed in order to enhance area and timeliness of irrigation supply and overall agricultural productivity of land. In the high potential - low productivity areas in Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, A.P. and NE states, there is an immense potential to improve agricultural productivity through systematic groundwater exploitation. Overview Of Groundwater Potential And Utilization In Bihar Bihar state of eastern India has an area of 94163 km2 having with 60.5 per cent (5.696 m ha.) area under crop cultivation at 144.7 per cent crop intensity (Anonymous, 1997). Irrigation potential through groundwater resources is 3.48-million hectare area. This may cover about 61 per cent net sown area of state. Total availability of ground water resources is 3.373-million hectare meter with good quality for irrigation. The total groundwater potential, utilization and balance potential of Bihar for which basin wise proper and efficient planning is needed are presented in Table 1. Total utilization envisaged through completed and on-going scheme is 1.287 M. ha m. Only 38 per cent of groundwater has been utilized. This shows high scope for further development. The balance groundwater resources of 2.086 million-hectare meters have to be tapped for agricultural production. Conjunctive Use of Irrigation Water for Crop Production Rice and wheat are major crops of the state whose total annual productivity (3.29 t/ha) is far below than Punjab (7.48 t/ha) and Haryana (6.16 t/ha) where level of ground water development has been 93.8 and 83.8 per cent, respectively. Effect of conjunctive use of irrigation water on the production mustard and wheat in Gandak Command of Bihar are presented in Tables 4 and 5, respectively. It is proved that even in canal irrigated condition the availability of tubewell water crop could boost the crop yield to respective level. Thus, when canal irrigation was not available normal harvest was possible due to ground water utilization at critical stage of the crop. Conjunctive Irrigation also does not allow the ground water to rise. This keeps at bay the problems of water logging and salinity (Singh et ah, 2002). Feasibility Structure of Groundwater Table 2 presents the district wise additional number of groundwater structure feasible in Bihar. District wise irrigation potential scenario is presented so that a proper planning for groundwater structures may be created to supply additional irrigation. Tube well density in Bihar is only 5.9/km2 while in Punjab and Haryana it is 12.36 and 10.47/km2, respectively. Bihar has potential to increase tube well density upto 28.2 km2. Additional 1684182 numbers of groundwater structures are feasible having a combination of 1680665 shallow tube wells and 3517 number of deep tube well. Based upon these facts million shallow tube well projects has been launched by Union Govt. of India to boost up on-farm water management for increasing crop production in Bihar. Plan Panel's Tubewell Scheme Minor irrigation department of Bihar has to sink 10.26 lakh million shallow tube wells and distribute 10.26 lakh diesel pump sets of 5 hp at a cost of Rs. 2886.41 crores. Under the scheme, the state government received central grant of Rs. 25.50 crores. With this amount, the minor irrigation department has to sink 33,798 shallow tube wells and distribute equal number of diesel pump sets among farmers in the current calendar year of 2001-2002. Of the centra] grants, Rs. 25 crores has been available to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), which is the implementing agency. Of the total expenditure earmarked for the scheme, Rs. 42.50 crores would be bank loans, while Rs. 17 crores beneficiaries share. Planning Commission has accorded the mode of development for popularization of shallow tube well with 30 per cent subsidy, 50 per cent loan to beneficiary and 20 per cent beneficiary contribution. All categories of farmers are eligible with preference to SC/ST for availing the subsidy and loan. Total 1.006 million shallow tube well has been proposed with cost of Rs. 2827.71 crores to cover 2.042 m ha land to increase 6.0 million tones additional food grain production. Aquifer Condition Aquifer condition (district and division wise) of Bihar is presented in Table 3. In Bihar district wise average depth of aquifers has been assessed. The average depth varies from 20-50 m. and depth of shallow tubewell will vary from 15-25 to 40-60 meters range. The recommended depth of shallow tubewell is 40-60 m in Patna, 30-50 m in Gaya, Bhagalpur and Munger divisions of south Bihar. In north Bihar it is 25-30 m in Saran, 27- 45 m in Tirhut and 25-35 m in Darbhanga divisions. After completion of project 85 per cent groundwater development is expected to exploit. Currently no block of Bihar falls in the over exploited and dark area and only 7 blocks have been found under gray zone. Ground water development forms the major part of minor irrigation programme and include construction of dug well, dug - cum bore well, filter points, private shallow tube well and deep public tube wells. It is essentially a people's programme implemented primarily through individual and cooperative efforts with finance obtained mainly from the institutional sources. The ground water scheme comprise of open wells/dug wells, shallow tube wells, bore wells, filter points and deep tube wells, where only deep tube wells are state owned and rest are individual owned. Tube wells and lift irrigation schemes depend on supply of electricity. Since only 14 percent electricity of the state is available for agriculture purpose, therefore, dependency is major upon diesel-operated machines. Bihar geographically falls in the very good category of rainfall zone and has vast ground water reserve of 2.569 million hectares meters. Therefore, the immense scope of creating more irrigation potential by utilizing untapped underground water resources to increase production and productivity should be properly utilized. Acknowledgments This work was done within the framework of the Associateship Scheme of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy. References Anonymous (1997). State Planning Commission Report, Govt. of Bihar, Patna Singh, S.S., Singh, J.P. and Khan, A. R. (2002). Groundwater utilisation for on-farm management to increase crop production in Bihar. International Groundwater Conference, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, February 20-22, 2002. Table 1. Total Groundwater Potential, Utilization And Balance Potential For Which Planning Needed (Basin Wise) SI. Name of Basin Ground water Potential/ Utilization No. Available Utilization Balance (L.ha-m). L.ha-m. Per cent (L.ha-m). 1. Ghaghra, Gandak, 7.31 3.40 46.55 3.91 Burhi Gandak, Mahi &Baya 2. B agmati- Adhwara 1.86 0.79 42.22 1.07 3. Kamla 1.19 0.45 37.56 0.74 4. Kosi 3.70 1.21 32.67 2.51 5. Mahananda 2.31 0.51 22.28 1.80 6. Karmanasa 1.66 0.55 23.96 1.11 7. Sone (including left 2.51 1.15 45.85 1.36 out area of Kanhar) & GmS-KAO 8. North Koel 0.68 0.17 25.40 0.51 9. Punpun 2.07 0.88 42.38 1.19 10. Kiul-Harohar 3.09 1.57 50.91 1.52 11. Badua-Belharna 0.59 0.17 30.85 0.42 12. Bilasi-Chandan-Chir 0.89 0.30 35.00 0.59 13. Ganga-Stem 1.56 0.84 53.85 0.72 Total 2.42 11.99 40.75 17.43 Table 2. Additional Number of Groundwater Structure Feasible in Bihar SI. District Irrigation TYPE & NUMBER OF FEASIBLE GROUND WATER No. Potential to ABSTRACTION STRUCTURES be created Deep Shallow Dugwell Borewell (ha.) Tubewell Tubewell (0.75 ha) (1.5 ha.) (7.5 ha) (2.25 ha) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1. Siwan 54334 54 48934 2. Sitamarhi 55119 55 24809 3. Rohtas 391992 391 182929 58798 13066 4. Gaya 191773 191 89494 28765 6395 5. Bhagalpur 320285 320 149466 48042 10676 6. Araria 142703 147 66251 7. Saharsa 97254 97 43777 8.