Gully control measures

Gully formation takes place due to improper land use for long time. Once a gully is
formed then the cost of reclamation is so high that the reclamation cost is sometimes
higher then the value of the land itself. It is therefore always better to prevent gully
formation than to control it after it formed. The benefits occurred for gully reclamation
not only include the cost of land reclaimed abut also the cost of other assets (such as
adjacent land, roads, buildings etc.) and off site benefits (prevention of sediment
transport into reservoir and channels etc.).

If a gully is in initial stage of development, there are chances of greater damage and
higher investment can be justified but if the gully is already advanced and reached to
healing stage, then large investment for reclamations not justified as the potential for
further damage is limited.

1. Planning of runoff control

(a) Retention of runoff: It is better to retain all the maximum possible runoff in
the catchment as this reduces the cost of gully reclamation or even may
eliminate the requirement for gully treatment.
(b) Diversion of runoff: If entire runoff cannot be stored in the watershed then
the excess runoff should be safely diverted away from gully by using graded
terraces or field diversion etc. If the flow is thus diverted from gully,
vegetation can be established quickly on the gully.
(c) Conveying runoff through gullies: If the gully is located in natural
depression and the rainfall and soil conditions are such that the entire runoff
cannot be stored in the watershed, then the excess runoff should be
conveyed through the gully. However this method should be used as last
resort.
2. Vegetative measures for gully control: It is one of the inexpensive technique
for gully control by establishing vegetation in the gully. The vegetation may
consists of grass cover and various types of plants. Vegetation may be
established by direct seeding, soding or plating. Generally following vegetative
control measures are employed for gully reclamation:
(a) Sod flumes: For a small watershed the gully can be used as flume through
which water is allowed to flow. However the gullied area should be planted
with sods to provide proper protection. Prior to planting the sods, the overfall
 and the sides should be made to proper slope of 6:1 or fatter. The flumes
should be wide enough so that depth of flow is not more than 30 cm.
(b) Sod check: For gully stabilization, 2 types of sods checks i.e. sod strips
and sodded earth fill are suitable for small to medium sized watershed, sods
are placed in strips along the gully at a regular interval.
(c) Shrub checks: Shrubs or tree branches can be used for stabilization of
small gullies having gently slope and limited drainage area. Trenches are
made across the gully slope ad shrubs are firmly placed in them. Theses
retard the velocity of water and trap the soil particles.
(d) Trees and shrubs: Planting of trees and shrubs is useful for gully control.
Appropriate species of shrubs and trees should be planted at optimum
moisture content. Various varieties of shrubs and trees should be planted
instead of only one type. Grazing may be restricted in initial stage and after
proper establishment control grazing may be allowed.

Temporary gully control structures

1. Brush dam
2. Loose rock dam
3. Plank or slab dam
4. Log dam
5. Gabion check dam

Reclamation of Ravine lands

A ravine land is a network of erosion channels or gullies which are deeper than 0.3
m. Erratic short duration and high intensity rainfall erodible nature if soil and
weak geology of alluvial steep slopes, uneven terrain faulty agricultural
practices, illicit cutting of trees and brushes and overgrazing have contributed
in formation and development of ravines in the country.
Ravine lands are spread over an area of about 4.3 million hectare in India, but their
largest incidence (about 72%) is found along the rivers Yamuna, Chambal,
Mahi, and Sabarmati and their tributaries in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Gujarat states. These are the worst form of land degradation
 and formed when the vegetal cover is not strong enough to hold and bind the
soil together from being carried away by the flowing rainwater.
According to an estimate, India loses about 3 million tons of food grain due to the
formation of ravine lands. These losses can be minimised through adoption of
scientific techniques to reclaim and check their further extension. For
rehabilitation and controlling the further extension of these lands, integration
of soil-water conservation measures with suitable agroforestry systems using
fruit trees/shrubs, forage grasses and energy plantations seems viable option.

Control of ravines
1. Closure to biotic interferences

By closing of ravine lands to all biotic interferences, not only the soil and water losses progressively
decreased but also there was qualitatively and quantitatively improvement in yield of grasses.

2. Construction of contour and peripheral bunds

After the closure of ravine lands to biotic interference, the protection of adjacent land from getting
converted into ravine lands is the next step. The encroachment of ravines is to be reduced by
retaining maximum of the rainfall in the catchment itself by constructing contour and peripheral
bunds. Grass ramp are to be provided in the contour bunds for easy flow of runoff and also to serve
as passage for animals and implements. The contour bunds are stabilized by seeding with grasses.

For less permeable black soil of the Chambal valley where rainfall is also higher, graded bunds with
vegetated waterways and drop structures were proved better than contour bunds.

Peripheral bunds and diversion drains are provided above the ravine lands to divert excess water
away from the area.

3. Protection of ravine by plugging

Plugs are very useful in protection of ravines by reducing the runoff velocity, redistributing it,
increasing percolation, increasing siltation and improving a favorable soil moisture regime for
establishment of plant covers. Various material like brushwood, log, earth, bolder, sandbag, brick
and stone masonry are used for plugging

4. Reclamation of ravines for cultivation

Ravines of small and medium size can be conveniently safely and economically reclaimed for
cultivation while deep and narrow ravines may be kept under permanent vegetative cover of grasses
and trees.

Small ravines are reclaimed by cleaning , minor levelling and constructing check bunds of 1.5 m2
section placed at HI of 30 to 45 m. grasses ramps are made to drain runoff at the end point of the
bund.
Medium ravines re reclaimed by cleaning. and levelling the bed and constructing a series of
composite earth and brick masonry check dams are VI of 1.2 m, Runoff from the cultivable area may
be harvested and stored in farm ponds for supplement irrigation.

The best use of narrow and deep ravines lands to plant suitable fast growing, protective and
productive species of trees and grasses.