Abstract:
Reservoir management involves allocating available water among multiple uses
and users, minimizing the risks of water shortages and flooding and optimizing
the beneficial use of water. Irrigation demands from a reservoir, which are
generally computed by using the design cropping pattern and average rainfall
conditions, may vary over the years depending on the actual cropping pattern
and meteorological conditions. This study demonstrates the utility of remote
sensing inputs and geographic information system (GIS) environment for
determining realistic irrigation demands from a reservoir. Remote sensing data
are used to map the actual cropping pattern in the command area while the GIS
is used for integrating the field-level irrigation demands up to the canal system
head. Ten daily irrigation demands in the command area of Samrat Ashok Sagar
Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh, India have been estimated and the reservoir
operation policy has been derived. Through the simulation analysis with 29 years
of inflow data, rule curves have been derived for the operation of reservoir so
that water deficit (if any) can be distributed in time much in advance and severe
crop failure can be avoided. Inferences drawn from the analysis can guide the
system operator in using the available water in a scientific and judicious manner.
