CS(AR)-221 : Conjunctive use study of Gangavathi command area of Thungabadra project Karnataka

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to evolve an optimal and practically feasible strategy for conjunctive utilization of groundwater and surface water resources in the command area. Normally. groundwater has been developed in private sector and it has been found to be haphazard and ill-planned. On the other hand, in some major irrigation project commands, problem of waterlogging have been experienced. Waterlogging problem could be averted, provided conjunctive use is envisaged in the canal command area during project planning stage itself. It is therefore necessary to develop a methodology for conjunctive use of these resources.

Rational planning and management of study area is not possible without comprehensive assessment of the need and the availability of water resources. In the present study, the evaluation or the assessment of the need and availability of water, and the extent of waterlogging in the study area is carried out by the rainfall analyses, groundwater trend analyses, water requirement, groundwater balance, and water quality analyses.

The area selected for the conjunctive use study is the command under Gangavathi taluk of Tungabhadra project. Karnataka.

The analyses of geohydrological data of the study area shows that. there is an urgency for balanced use of surface and groundwater resources available in the study area. However in the past, water resources in the study area have been used with almost complete disregard of subsurface storage and the inter-relationship that exists between surface and groundwater resources. The judicial use of subsurface and surface water resources could be the possibility to bring down the water table which is alarming in the some parts of the study area. Some measures have been recommended for the proper and productive utilisation of surface and sub-surface water resources conjunctively