ACROSS SYSTEMS COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF HARE COMMUNITY MANAGED IRRIGATION SCHEMES PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Sustainable and effective utilization of the water resources facilitate consistently to achieve high productivity without damaging the physical and socioeconomic environments through enhanced crop diversification opportunities, reduced vulnerability caused by drought and seasonal variability of rainfall. In this regard, this IWMI financed study has addressed different aspects such as the irrigation potential of the river through hydro-meteorological analysis, the irrigation systems performances, the extent of problems related to water management, the land quality aspect both from engineering and agricultural point of view, and impact of interventions including the agricultural, environmental and the economic reactions by using important external performance and internal process indicators within and across the irrigation systems with respect to proximity to the river course diversion and main canal reach. One of the foremost problems identified is the incompatibility of the available water against the demand during the critical irrigation season due to the absence of storage systems but large command area anticipating from the diversion schemes, while abundant water yet wasted during the wet season. The irrigation potential assessment based on the existing cropping pattern and the irrigation efficiency has revealed that the probability of the river to meet the existing demand (i.e. 2224 ha) is only 15. 75% with 100% diversion. During critical irrigation period of the year even, with 75 % dependable flow (i .e. 930 lps), they can irrigate 842.85 ha, that is only 37.9 % of the required area. In contrast, the irrigation potential during the rainy season is as much as 5866 ha with 75 % diversion that is ·