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IRRIGATION COMMAND AREA MANAGEMENT USING REMOTE SENSING

Technical Report · December 2013

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15719.50080

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BULLETIN OF THE

NATIONAL NATURAL RESOURCES

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
NNRMS (B) - 38

Satellite Remote Sensing &

GIS Applications in Water Resources

December 2013

NNRMS
Department of Space
Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road
Bangalore - 560 231
INDIA
 2013
IRRIGATION COMMAND AREA
MANAGEMENT USING REMOTE

DECEMBER
SENSING

-
Raju PV, Abdul Hakeem K and Venkateswar Rao V
Water Resource Group, National Remote Sensing Centre

BULLETIN
ISRO, Department of Space, Hyderabad - 500 037, India
Email: raju_pv@nrsc.gov.in

Introduction
Irrigated agriculture accounts for more than 70 percent of water withdrawn and

NNRMS
is the major consumer of fresh water resources. Global population continues to swell,
increasing the demand for food and fibre, demanding agricultural intensification, increasing
water use, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Arid and semi-arid regions, where in
precipitation occurs over few months, irrigation support is essential for achieving optimal
crop productivity.

Irrigated agriculture is under severe scrutiny to produce more with fewer inputs,
specifically, the water. The other sectors of water utilization are posing great challenge and
competition to irrigation to maximize its water use efficiency. Anticipated climate change
conditions are expected to alter water availability and demand conditions. Irrigated agriculture
is projected to be one of the most vulnerable sectors, requiring adoptive technologies and
management. Programs such as Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) augment the
irrigation potential creation. Programs such as Command Area Development (CAD), National
Water Management Project (NWMP), Water Resources Consolidation Project (WRCP), National
Pilot Project for Repair, Renovation and Restoration (NPRRR) were initiated for improving the
performance of existing irrigation systems to bridge the gap between potential created and
utilized and to improve overall water use efficiency/productivity.

Use of satellite remote sensing data for irrigation water management has been
demonstrated through many studies addressing: base line inventory, performance assessment
& monitoring, providing in-season inputs, monitoring physical progress of potential creation,
generating inputs for feasibility assessment of new projects, environmental impacts such
as water logging & soil salinity, reservoir management, etc. This would support the field
departments to cope up with water scarcity and augmenting the water use efficiency through
integration of geo-spatial information with their conventional practices.

Satellite Remote Sensing for Irrigated Command Area

Management
Satellite Remote Sensing (SRS) & Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques
have many roles to supplement and complement the data needs of irrigation sector to equip
them for efficient management of existing schemes as well as for scientific planning of new
schemes (Bastiaanssen et al., 2000).
 The high spatial resolution satellite data, of the order of few meters to sub-meter, (also equipped with stereo
capability) is providing inputs for evaluating the feasibility of various alternatives while planning for new irrigation schemes.
In ongoing projects, where new irrigation potential is under creation, high spatial resolution data is being used to capture
the irrigation infrastructure, thus equipping the funding agencies to monitor the physical progress and accomplishment
of the targets. Alternatively, such data is also found useful to generate geo-databases required for development of
information & decision support systems. The intermediate spatial resolution satellite data is being extensively applied to
existing irrigation systems to carry out baseline inventory, performance evaluation, impact assessment, near-real time
monitoring, in-season estimation of irrigation water demand, surface water logging, soil salinity/alkalinity, etc. The large
archives of historical satellite data provide valuable evidence of the responses and performance of irrigation system to
varying water availability conditions. Near real time satellite data provides the current information on irrigated agriculture,
which can be used to take appropriate in-season decisions in order to reduce the impact of water scarcity on agricultural
production. These inputs are assisting irrigation department to improve and stabilize the performance of the existing
irrigation systems.

Satellite Remote Sensing data captures the information both command level and at different spatial units, thus
providing the variability at sub-command units. This capability significantly enhances the usefulness of satellite data for
deriving decision variables at various hierarchal units. The repetitive coverage through time-series satellite data captures
the temporal dynamics of agriculture, thus providing opportunity to monitor and derive decision variables during
the season.

Baseline Inventory of Irrigation Systems

There has been a steep decline of new investments for expanding irrigation sector due to rapidly increasing
capital investment and due to environmental problems associated with such infrastructure creation. In India, the funding
for irrigation sector has sharply declined from 23% in mid 60-70’s to a low of 9% in mid 90’s. The focus has shifted
towards improving the efficiency of existing irrigation systems instead of creating new systems. In most of the existing
irrigation systems there is a serious lack of systematic organizational structure providing/maintaining data pertaining to
the system. Effective irrigation water management needs reliable, comprehensive and objective data base in a timely
and cost-effective manner. Satellite data with its synoptic coverage coupled multi-spectral information and time series
data sets are suitable for inventorying the irrigation systems (Thenkabail et al., 2009).

Crops cultivated in irrigated command areas were identified and inventoried through analysis of
multi-spectral optical remote sensing data and through digital image processing algorithms (Jonna & Chari,
1992; Nageswar Rao and Mohankumar, 1994) and also using microwave radar data (Saindranath et al., 2000).
Baseline information on cropping pattern was generated using remote sensing data from command level to water
course level. Multi-temporal optical and microwave (Ozdogan, et. al., 2010) data were used to identify multiple crops
in irrigated agricultural system. Murthy et al., (2003) used advanced classifiers like ANN back-propagation technique for
classification of irrigated crops.

Satellite data derived spectral indices have been used to evaluate crop condition. Some of the indices like
Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were found to be directly related crop yield and thus were used for
estimation of crop yield of cereal crops (Murthy, et al., 1996). NDVI was also used for ground sampling of crop cutting
experiment in irrigation system (Murthy, et al., 1996). Satellite technology tools were applied to evaluate the schemes
such as National Water Management Project (NWMP) and Water Resources Consolidation Project (WRCP).

Case Study – Inventory of Bhakra Irrigation System, Haryana State

Multi-date satellite data of 1995-96 rabi season were analysed to assess irrigation system under Bhakra canal
low performing pockets, effectiveness and sustainability of improvement schemes, etc. Some of the performance indicators
generated from satellite data are crop intensity, equivalent crop area intensity, principal crop intensity, proportionate crop
intensity, crop condition, coefficient of variation in crop condition, tail-head ratio of cropping intensity, tail-head ratio of
crop condition and sustainability in crop intensity.

Remote sensing based performance indicators were used for evaluating the performance of various
irrigation systems in the country (Thiruvengadachari et al 1994 and Raju et al., 1997). Bastiaanssen et. al., (1999)
listed the performance indicators derived from RS algorithms supplemented by ground data. Ray et al., (2002) used
RS data has to compute three indices namely, adequacy, equity and water use efficiency for the evaluation of
performance of distributaries in an irrigation system. Panigrahy et al., (2005) attempted to derive crop indices
like Multiple Cropping Index, Area Diversity Index and Cultivated Land Utilization Index using satellite derived
parameters such as cropping pattern, crop rotation, and crop calendar, crop type, acreage, rotation and crop duration.
Command Area Development (CAD) scheme under 13 irrigation commands was evaluated using multi-year satellite
data (Anonymous, 2005).

Case Study – Bhadra

Command Area,
Karnataka State
Study carried out in
Bhadra project command area
in Karnataka State demonstrated
the capability Satellite Remote
Sensing techniques in providing
spatial information on irrigated
area, cropping pattern, crop
productivity and crop water use
efficiency at micro level. Analysis
of multi-date satellite data (IRS
LISS I sensor) during 1992-93
rabi season along with field
data has indicated 91 percent
irrigation intensity with 66 percent
coverage under paddy crop.
Figures 2a and 2b depict canal-
wise paddy yield and paddy
Fig. 2a: Canal-wise Paddy yield during rabi (1992-93) water use efficiency respectively
during rabi 1992-93. The total
depth of water application was 0.799 m with a water use efficiency of 0.495 kg/m for paddy crop. Water distribution
3

was found to be more inequitable in Bhadravathi division and was also having low paddy water use efficiency of
0.394 kg/m 3. Malebennur division reorded higher performance with more uniform water distribution, high
paddy productivity and high paddy water use efficiency. Distributaries with low irrigation intensity, paddy yield
and water use efficiency could be identified. The study established the usefulness satellite data for assessing the
performance of an irrigation system and in identifying the poorly performing pockets which require improvement
measures (Anonymous, 1994).
 Case Study – Chambal

2013
Command Area, Rajasthan
State

DECEMBER
Multi date satellite data of three
rabi seasons (1997-98, 1990-91 and 1986-
87) were used to assess the performance
of Chambal irrigation command, Rajasthan

-
state, at distributary/minor irrigation unit
level. The satellite derived spatial and

BULLETIN
temporal information on cropping pattern,
crop intensity and crop condition formed
the basic inputs to develop the indicators
of agricultural performance of the irrigation

Fig. 2b: Canal-wise irrigation intensity
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system. The total irrigated area during
1997-98 rabi season was higher than the
irrigated area during 1990-91 and 1986-87
(Figures 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d). The increase was
observed in both right main canal and left
main canal. However, the irrigation intensity
was observed low in Left Medium Canal
(LMC) indicating significant gap between
irrigation potential created and utilised. During
1997-98 rabi season, the water requirement
is increased by 31.98 percent (in terms of
Equivalent Wheat Area), mostly resulting
from the significant increase in wheat crop
extent, when compared with 1990-91 rabi
season. The supplies were increased by only
6.48 percent, resulting in highly variable
wheat crop condition during 1997-98 rabi
season (Anonymous, 2005)

In-season Inputs for

Improved Irrigation Water
Management
Indian irrigation systems have been
traditionally designed and constructed with
Fig. 3a: Standard FCC of rabi (1998) a minimal consideration of dynamic system
operation and control capabilities. With the
growing competition for fresh water resources from other sectors, irrigation management is faced
with increasing needs for more flexible, reliable and efficient supply regime in order to achieve
maximum efficiency. To maintain control over the process of delivering water, real time information
111
is to be obtained on various aspects, which control and influence the supply & utilization regimes.
 Irrigation managers are constrained by the
lack of real time information on - to what
extent irrigated agriculture is confirming
with their plans and the extent of deviations,
if any. Such information, when provided
during supply time, would equip the managers
to make real-time decisions and to sensitize
the release pattern in accordance with
demand variability and its sensitivity.

Field based studies have been

developed to estimate or forecast irrigation
water requirements (Li and Cui 1996,
Pulido-Calvo et al., 2003) and to optimize
water allocations (Vedula and Muzumdar
1992; Wardlaw and Barnes 1999; Westphal
et al., 2003). In most of these studies the
Fig. 3b: Crop map of rabi 1998
mixed cropping was either predetermined or
derived through optimization approaches and
irrigation water allocations were optimized
considering the system resources, operating
principles and associated constraints. It is
important to note that year to year variations
in water availability and corresponding
variations in distribution policies induce
significant variability in field conditions and
agricultural operations.

Near Real-Time Inputs from

Remote Sensing Data
Satellite remote sensing data
captures the information both at command
level and at different spatial units, thus

Fig. 3c: Canal-wise Irrigation Intensity providing the spatial variability at sub-
command units. This capability significantly
enhances the usefulness of satellite data for deriving decision variables at various hierarchal units. The repetitive coverage
through time-series satellite data captures the temporal dynamics, thus providing opportunity to monitor and derive
decision variables during the season. Time-series satellite data during the irrigation season can provide various sets of
information: capturing the onset and extension of irrigation service; progression of cropped area; area under major crops/
crop-groups; crop and irrigation water requirements and crop condition/productivity.

Monitoring the onset and extension of irrigation service : Irrigation supplies provided through a
canal system, in general, get extended from head to tail reaches. In the initial time periods, supplies confine to main
 canal and its immediate surrounding areas.

2013
Progressively the supplies get extended to the
lateral canals and distribution system. The

DECEMBER
pattern in which the access to the irrigation
supplies is taking place has a significant
influence on the amount of water usage
and corresponding efficiency. Irrigation

-
managers evolve a programmatic schedule
through which they plan to provide access to

BULLETIN
irrigation to all parts of the command area.
It is important and desirable to monitor the
actual pattern of access to irrigation service
and verify whether it is as per designed plans

NNRMS
or not. Because, deviations, if any, results in

Fig. 3d: CV of wheat crop condition inefficient water usage and would call for a
revision allocation schedules.

Figure 4 shows the time series AWiFS data capturing the initiation of irrigation service and its
extension. The time-series data depict False Colour Composite (FCC ) images of NIR-SWIR-Red over
Hirakud command area, Orissa State during 2003-04 rabi season. The ability to characterize moisture
status of a soil by multi-spectral information through remote sensing has many practical applications.
The high frequency AWiFS data Resorcesat-1 visibly depicted the irrigation service initiation and
progress across the command area. Satellite
data of December shows fallow fields with
no significant residual soil moisture before
the irrigation service and no rainfall during
the preceding days. The irrigation supplies,
which commenced in the last week of
December, provided initial wetting of soil
(blue to purple colour areas) indicating the
access to irrigation service (Figure 4). This
was mostly confined to a few areas within
the vicinity of main canals. Subsequent dates
satellite data depict the progressive increase
in wetted area. The irrigation supplies were
observed to extend to tail portions of the
Fig. 4: Onset & extension of irrigation service as captured by multi-date AWiFS
data (FCC using NIR-SWIR-red)
command and into lateral distribution system
by 10th Feb, The time-series AWiFS data clearly
captured pattern of irrigation service initiation and its extension to different parts of command area
(Raju et al., 2008).

The above information when generated on near-real time basis could assist the irrigation
113
department to verify with their actual plans and identify the deviations. A comparison with planned
 irrigation schedules would help the managers
to take necessary steps for minimizing the
deviations from original plans.

Estimation of Intra-seasonal Irrigation

Water Requirements:
Figure 5 shows the multi-date
AWiFS data over Hirakud command area
during 2003-04 rabi season. The temporal
satellite data set clearly depicts the paddy
crop area progression and its phenological
cycle beginning from field preparation/
transplantation, active vegetative phase,
heading, etc. From the progression of
rice crop acreage, the variability in rice
transplantation period was identified. Distinct
classes representing different periods of rice
transplantation are shown in Figure 6. The
satellite data analysis facilitated statistics
generation right up to distributary (tertiary)
canal thus providing the spatial variability
among irrigation units. This information was
integrated with agro-meteorological data,
to derive lateral canal-wise irrigation water
demand and the critical periods were also
identified. A comparison with the actual
Fig. 5: Multi-date AWiFS data over Hirakud command area supply pattern (Figure 7) indicated poor
correlation with the chronological variations
associated with crop water requirement, supplies were 15% excess during Dec-Jan and were 20.1% deficit during later
part of season (Feb to Apr).

The study has demonstrated the usefulness of time series AWiFS data to generate the irrigation water
requirement during the supply season and would support the irrigation managers to reschedule the irrigation
water supplies to achieve better synchronization between requirement and supply leading to improved water
use efficiency.

Water Logging and Soil Salinity in Irrigation Systems

Water logging and subsequent salinization and alkalization are the major land degradation processes operating
upon in the irrigation commands of the semiarid regions. The significant occurrence of salt affected soils lies in the arid
and semiarid regions reducing considerably (7–8%) the productive capacity of the land surface in the world. Due to
improper management of soil and water resources in the command areas, the problems of salinity/ alkalinity and water
logging are reported to be on the increase. Information on the nature, extent, spatial distribution and temporal behaviour
of areas under water logging and salinity/alkalinity is essential for proper management of irrigated lands. Satellite data
are being used regularly for mapping of salt affected soils (Singh & Dwivedi, 1989) and waterlogged areas (Sharma &
Bhargava, 1987; Command Area Development (CAD) programme, the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of
India, supported a programme to apply satellite remote sensing techniques to generate distributary-wise information
 on the status of water logging and salinity/

2013
alkalinity periodically during selected years of
operation in selected command areas. The

DECEMBER
information on nature, extent, and spatial
distribution of waterlogged area and salt-
affected soils was derived through systematic
interpretation of satellite data. State-wise salt

-
affected soils map of India on 1:250,000 scale
were prepared using remote sensing data

BULLETIN
jointly with the Central Soil Salinity Research
Institute (ICAR) and National Bureau of Soil
Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur
(NBSS & LUP). The database contains maps

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showing physiographic features, distribution
and extent of salt affected soils supported by
a base map and a descriptive dataset showing
nature and degree of salinity/sodicity.

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of Bhadra command area, Karnataka State,

Fig. 6: : Variability in rice transplantation period Project Report, NRSA, Hyderabad, India

Anonymous, (1996). Remote Sensing Study of

Bhakra Canal Command Area, Haryana State,
Project Report, NRSA, Hyderabad, India

Anonymous, (2005). Satellite remote sensing

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