Subject: IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

MUET
Presentation #: 01 (1 hour)

INTRODUCTION:
 Lesson Learning Objectives
 Definition and Necessity
 Types and Classification of irrigation

Instructor: Prof. Dr. Ashfaque A. Memon

References:
 Irrigation and Water Power Engineering by B. C. Punmia and Pande B. B. Lal
 Irrigation Engineering by H. M. Raghunath
 Irrigation and Drainage Engineering by I. H. Siddiqui
 Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulic Structures by S. K. Garg

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

 To define Irrigation and describe its Necessity
 To describe Scope of irrigation engineering
 To discuss Types and Classification of irrigation
system
 To explain Benefits and Ill-effects of irrigation
 To discuss Planning of irrigation projects
IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

Irrigation is the application of water to the soil to supplement

natural precipitation and provide an environment that is
optimum for crop production.

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Necessity of Irrigation
1. Less rainfall
2. Non-uniform rainfall
3. Commercial crops with additional water
4. Controlled water supply

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Scope of Irrigation Science

a) Engineering Aspect:
1. Storage, Diversion or Lifting of water
2. Conveyance of water to agricultural fields
3. Application of water to agricultural fields
4. Drainage and relieving water logging
5. Development of water power

b) Agricultural Aspect:
1. Depth of water
2. Distribution of water
3. Capacity of soil and flow of water
4. Reclamation of lands
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Multipurpose River Valley Project

1. Irrigation
2. Public health and sanitation
3. Hydroelectric power development
4. Flood control and river training
5. Soil conservation
6. Inland navigation
7. Fish culture

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Water requirements of a crop
Every crop requires a certain quantity of water after a certain fixed interval,
throughout its period of growth.
If the natural rain is sufficient and timely so as to satisfy both these
requirements, no irrigation water is required for raising that crop.
In England, for example, the natural rainfall satisfies both these requirements
for practically all crops, and, therefore, irrigation is not significantly needed in
England.
But in a tropical country like Pakistan, the natural rainfall is either insufficient,
or the water does not fall after fixed intervals, as required by the crops.
Since the magnitude as well as the frequency of the rainfall varies throughout a
tropical country, certain crop may require irrigation in certain part of the
country, and the same crop may not require any irrigation in some other part of
the country.

Water Requirement of Crops 7

The area where irrigation is a must for agriculture is called the
arid region, while the area in which inferior crops can be grown
without irrigation is called a semi-arid region.
The term Water requirements of a crop means “the total quantity
and the way in which a crop requires water, from the time it is
sown to the time it is harvested”.
Water requirement varies with the crop as well as with the place.
In other words, “different crops will have different water
requirements and the same crop may have different water
requirements at different places of the same country depending
upon the climate, type of soil, method of cultivation, and useful
rainfall, etc”.

Water Requirement of Crops 8

Types of Irrigation

Supplementary irrigation: in areas with rainfall is for a

part of the season or year

Total irrigation: in areas of no rainfall

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Types of Irrigation w.r.to Source
Irrigation may broadly be classified into :

1. Surface irrigation [(a) Flow irrigation; and (b) Lift irrigation.]

When the water is available at a higher level, and it is supplied to lower

level, by the mere action of gravity, then it is called Flow Irrigation.

But, if

The water is lifted up by some mechanical or manual means, such as

pumps, etc. and then supplied for irrigation, then it is called Lift Irrigation.

2. Sub-surface irrigation

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(a) Types of Flow irrigation
(i) Perennial irrigation, (ii) Flood irrigation.

(i) Perennial Irrigation.

In perennial system of irrigation, constant and continuous water supply is assured to
the crops in accordance with the requirements of the crop, throughout the crop
period.
In this system of irrigation, water is supplied through storage, canal head works and
canal distribution system.
When the water is directed into the canal by constructing a weir or a barrage across
the river, it is called Direct Irrigation.
But, if a dam is constructed across a river to store water during monsoons, so as to
supply water in the off-taking channels during periods of low flow, then it is termed
as Storage Irrigation. This perennial system of irrigation, is most important and is
mostly practiced in Pakistan.

(ii) Flood Irrigation.

This kind of irrigation, is sometimes called as inundation irrigation. In this method of
irrigation, soil is kept submerged and thoroughly flooded with water, so as to cause
thorough saturation of the land. Chapter-1 11
 TYPES OF IRRGATION PROJECTS/SCHEMES

Tail Escape:
Weir type structures at tail of
canal to overflow the surplus
water

Tail Cluster:
Group of outlets provided at tail
of canal to dispose off tail water
equally to the fields.

Direct irrigation project

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Chapter-1 13
Storage
irrigation
project

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Advantages of Irrigation
(1) Increase in Food Production
(2) Optimum Benefits
(3) Elimination of Mixed Cropping
(4) Facilities of Communications
(5) Generation of Hydro-electric power
(6) Domestic Water Supply
(7) Inland Navigation
(8) Afforestation

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Disadvantages and Ill-Effects of Irrigation
(1) Water pollution: seepage of nitrates (when applied as
fertilizer) into the ground water – groundwater polluted –
causes anemia disease (when consumed by people through
wells ). May affect the fishing, as the tides carry the polluted
water out into the ocean.
(2) Colder and damper climate: causing outbreak of diseases
like malaria.
(3) Water-logging: due to over-irrigation - reduces crop yields.
(4) Complex and expensive to government: provision of
cheaper water vs. low revenue returns

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PLANNING OF IRRIGATION PROJECTS

Agricultural establishments capable of applying controlled amounts

of water to lands to produce crops are termed irrigation projects.
Irrigation projects may range from a small farm unit to those serving
extensive areas of millions of hectares.
A small irrigation project may consist of a low diversion weir or an
inexpensive pumping plant along with small ditches (channels) and
some minor control structures.
A large irrigation project includes a large storage reservoir/huge
dam, hundreds of kilometers of canals, branches and distributaries,
control structures and other works.

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Every irrigation project undergo following stages:
1.Development of an Irrigation Project
2.Feasibility of an Irrigation Project
3.Planning of an Irrigation Project

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• Self Reading
1. Development of an Irrigation Project
A small irrigation project can be developed in a relatively short time.
Farmers having land suitable for agriculture, source of adequate water
supply, and necessary finance can plan their own irrigation system and
get the engineering works constructed without any delay.
On the other hand, development of a large irrigation project is more
complicated and time-consuming. Complexity and the time required for
completion of a large project increase with the size of the project.
This is due to the organizational, legal, financial, administrative,
environmental and engineering problems; all of which must be given
detailed consideration prior to the construction of the irrigation works.
The principal stages of a large irrigation project are:
1.Promotional stage,
2.Planning stage,
3.Construction stage, and
4.Settlement stage.
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The planning stage itself consists of three sub stages:
(i) preliminary planning including feasibility studies,
(ii) detailed planning of water and land use, and
(iii) the design of irrigation structures and canals.

2. Feasibility of an Irrigation Project

A proposed irrigation project is considered feasible only when the total
estimated benefits of the project exceed its total estimated cost.
However, from the farmer's viewpoint, an irrigation project is feasible
only if his annual returns exceed his annual costs by sufficient amount.
The feasibility of an irrigation project is determined on the basis of:
• preliminary estimates of area of land suitable for irrigation,
• water requirements,
• available water supplies,
• productivity of irrigated land, and
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• required engineering works.
3. Planning of an Irrigation Project
Once the project is considered feasible, the process of planning starts.
Sufficient planning of all aspects (organizational, technical, agricultural,
legal, environmental and financial) is essential in all irrigation projects.
The process of planning of an irrigation project can be divided into the
following two stages:
(i) Preliminary planning, and
(ii) Detailed planning.

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The following are the main factors which must be determined accurately
during the planning stage of an irrigation project:
(i) Type of project and general plan of irrigation works,
(ii) Location, extent and type of irrigable lands,
(iii) Irrigation requirements for profitable crop production,
(iv) Available water supplies for the project,
(v) Irrigable areas which can be economically supplied with water,
(vi) Types and locations of necessary engineering works,
(vii) Needs for immediate and future drainage,
(viii) Feasibility of hydroelectric power development,
(ix) Cost of storage, irrigation, power and drainage features,
(x) Evaluation of probable power, income and indirect benefits,
(xi) Method of financing the project construction,
(xii) Desirable type of construction and development,
(xiii) Probable annual cost of water to the farmers,
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(xiv) Cost of land preparations and farm distribution systems, and
(xv) Feasible crops, costs of crop production, and probable crop returns.

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