17-Groundwater Management Options - A Case Study of Western Yamuna Canal Command, Haryana.

Abstract

Western Yamuna Canal (WJC) Command covers part of the Upper Yamuna Basin and inland alluvial basin in the State of Haryana. The WJC Command of an area about 13,543 sq. km, covers eastern, central and southern parts of the State of Haryana. The available water supply from WJC was not able to fully meet the water demand in the area. This has resulted in initiation of development of groundwater in many a ways. An augmentation canal with taking off from WJC at Yamuna Nagar and joining it back after a length of 72 km at Munak was constructed in 1972. One hundred sixty tube wells, which tap from the phreatic aquifer, were constructed along this canal. This development of groundwater was meant to augment water supply and to lower the groundwater level in the water logged areas lying between the WJC and the river Yamuna. Since year 2002, all these augmentation tube wells have been dried up due to failure and nonmaintenance. This project has solved the problem of water logging in the area, but the stoppage of pumping of augmentation wells, has reduced the water supply in the canal. This paper discusses about the performance of the augmentation canal project in terms of its impact on groundwater level and financial viability. The study has shown that it is a sustainable project. The possibility of revival of such projects in the emerging scenario of increasing water demand and constant water supply has been explored. It was observed that it may not be viable to use the already over developed phreatic aquifer because of possibility of existence of prolific semi confined aquifer below the phreatic aquifer.