Water Management Practices in Sandy Arid Zones An Economic Appraisal of Water Conveyance System

Abstract

In the Barani areas as in most parts of Haryana State the biggest problem for the farmers is the optimum utilisation of the most scarce resource viz; irrigation water. In most of the wells there is a general shortage of water due to the hard pan of rock and the wells have to be kept idle for sonic time to regulate the discharge of water. Further, the loose and friable texture of soil and the undulating topography of the land make the task of carrying irrigation water from its source to the field quite difficult. Various soil and water management practices like land grading, levell- ing, selection of appropriate irrigation methods, regulating water flow rate with soil and slope of the field etc. have been recommended for checking irrigation water losses. Important though they are, greater attention needs to be given to methods of minimising water losses in transit due to seepage and evaporation in Kachha channels and mismanagement of water in the fields.