STUDY OF CROPPING PATTERN IN IRRIGATED COMMAND

Abstract

Due to the growing agricultural, industrial & social needs, the optimal utilization of water resources has gained a remarkable importance in the recent years. It is therefore, necessary to maximize the net benefits from the cropping activity in an area by optimal conjunctive use of the surface and ground water. The present study is a small effort in this regard. A conjunctive use irrigation planning model has been formulated in the present study for the area of Chandok branch canal of Eastern Ganga canal irrigation project. Linear programming technique has been used to maximize the net annual irrigation benefit from surface and ground water. The objective function of the optimal conjunctive use planning model incorporates net benefits from the considered twelve crops, capital costs and operation and maintenance costs of surface water and ground water pumping systems. It is subjected to a set of constraints namely, crop area constraints, crop water requirement constraints, Ground Water Pumping Constraints and constraints for crop management and socio-economic needs. The effect of variation in the following factors on the objective function has been analyzed. Cropping pattern (ii) Ground Water Pumping Draft and (iii) Surface Water Supply Sixteen Runs have been taken on computer and on the basis of these, monthly optimal allocation of surface water, ground water and the area under the crops has been arrived at. It is observed that by making conjunctive use of surface and ground water, the net annual benefit may be substantially increased.