ISSN:
1573-0654
Keywords:
canal operations
;
equity
;
Pakistan
;
secondary canals
;
water distribution
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract Equity in the distribution of irrigation water has long been an operational objective for the management of the large canal systems in the north and west of the Indian subcontinent. How well that operational objective continues to be met is the central concern of the research reported in this paper. Detailed studies of canal operations were conducted on three distributaries in the Lower Chenab Canal system in Punjab Province, Pakistan. Mananwala and Lagar Distributaries off-take in the head reach of the Gugera Branch Canal and Pir Mahal Distributary is at the very tail of this Branch. Flow conditions for these distributaries and of selected outlets served by each were measured daily throughout 1988, and data were converted to discharges. These field observations show that discharge variation at the head of distributaries greatly exceeds the original design criteria. The data also indicate that two design assumptions for outlets are no longer valid: continuous full supply water level in the distributary and outlet modular flow conditions. Field measurements confirm that the distribution of surface water among the outlets of all three distributaries is substantially inequitable. Outlets in the channels' head reaches commonly draw 3 to 6 times greater share of total supplies than do tail outlets. Although all three selected distributaries are perennial canals, some outlets remained dry for up to 90% of the total operational days in a year. Finally, evaluation of field data also shows that better operational procedures at the distributary level can substantially improve water supply conditions in the tail reaches.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01102975
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