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Application of a Mathematical Model for Irrigation Management in Teesta Barrage Project

Md. Hazrat ALI
Junior Specialist
Irrigation Management Division, Institute of Water Modelling, Dhaka, Bangladesh,

Jackson ROEHRIG
Deputy Director
Institute for Technology in the Tropics, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Germany,

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economic life of Bangladesh. Rice is the main crop of Bangladesh, demands more water than other crops throughout the growth period. Although there is plenty of water in monsoon, there is water scarcity during dry periods. The irrigation system “Teesta Barrage Project” provides irrigation water from the Teesta river for a command area of 750,000 ha. During design, the main objective of this project was to provide supplementary irrigation to rice mainly of the variety T-Aman during Kahrif-II (mid July to November) periods. But at present, due to change of the regional agro-socio-economic transformations, High Yield Variety (HYV) “Boro” rice cultivation is being practiced by farmers during the dry period (Mid December to Mid May), which requires much higher amounts of irrigation water. Thus, efficient water management is a great challenge for this large system. The main objectives of the study were to estimate crop water requirement, to prepare irrigation scheduling for rice using “cropwat irrigation planning and management tool’’, to review the system performance, and to develop an operation rule curve using a hydrodynamic model. The water scarcity and the potential for saving water during the dry period have also been analysed. The study demonstrates that the combination of different models contribute to the optimization of water use patterns in the study area resulting in water savings, improved water distribution and extended cultivation area during dry periods. Therefore, leading to social and economic benefits could be achieved.

Keywords: Irrigation water requirement, Irrigation scheduling, Mathematical modelling, Operation curve, Deficit irrigation

Location:

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Performance

Objectives:

The main objectives of the study were to use water resources modelling techniques with the view to increase agricultural production through optimum utilization of available water resources. The specific objectives for the present study were as follows:
• To assist decision makers in bringing the potential irrigable area within the study area up to full potential through system investigation.
• To develop different scheduling scenarios for staggered plantation.
• To review bottlenecks in the existing hydraulic structures and to evaluate the system performance.
• To identify of areas of inadequate supply of irrigation water.
• To improve water management and operation and monitoring of the irrigation structures.

Methodology:

This study had been focused on a pilot area of exiting Teesta Barrage Project (Phase-I) to develop a model for decision making which is located in the Northwest region of the country. It is being implemented for irrigation, flood control and drainage for a command area of 750,000 ha of which 540,000 ha are irrigable. To derive early benefits, the project has been phased out, viz. Phase-I and Phase-II. The Phase-I of the project with a gross area of 154,250 ha and net irrigable area of 111,406 ha (BWDB and IWM, 2004). The barrage is 615 m long fitted with 44 of radial gates having a discharge capacity of 12,750 cumec. Water was diverted through a canal head regulator 110 m long with a discharge capacity of 283 cumec. The topography of the area varies from 55.1 m, PWD in the upper (Northern) part to 29.8 m, PWD in lower (Southern) part with a mean of 42.45 m. The study area was relatively flat, gentle slope at 45 cm in 1 km. The land slope is very suitable for gravity irrigation. It is evident that the problems associated with the command area development are inter-linked with various hydrological, hydraulic and environmental aspects both inside and outside the project area. A solution to the problems could only be achieved through a detailed study of the entire system. The modelling system for the proposed study should have the following facilities: • Spatially distributed to allow the reflection of changes along the irrigation canals system and should be incorporate different type of physical structures such as regulators, check structures, syphons, aqueducts, turnouts etc. • Model components must be based on physical laws to permit extrapolation beyond the range of the data used for calibration and validation. • Model parameters should be such that they can be evaluated by direct measurement to enable the effects of future alteration of states. Several modelling Softwares have been reviewed, such as Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT, 2005), Diffusion Analogy Flow model (DAFLOW, 2005), etc. However, there are no appropriate modules in these softwares to incorporate all physical structures for this study in the irrigation network. The study involves the estimation of crop water requirement, scheme water requirement model and surface water model for irrigation management. For the surface water model development the “MIKE11 hydrodynamic model” and for the crop water requirement and scheme water requirement the “Cropwat” model was used.

Source of Information: International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2007), 12 - 14 March 2007, BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

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Achievement/Findings:

In the present study, all irrigable area was considered equally suitable for HYV Boro and T-Aman rice. In future study, land suitability and diversification of crop should be considered to save more water. The project Authority does not maintain any measurement program inside the canal systems. It is recommended to take some hydrometric measurement during irrigation period which will facilitate better optimization for future study.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings