CANAL OPERATION PLAN

-GENERAL PRINCIPLES
-PREPARATION

Ghanta Surender, B.E.(Civil), M.Tech. (WRE),

Former Director {ITC}&
Senior Faculty Member,
WALAMTARI, Hyderabad-500 030
 OPERATION PLAN-
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
To organize water delivery in a planned
way leading to
– EQUITABLE
– RELIABLE and
– PREDICTABLE
water supply in an irrigation system
 OPERATION PLAN CONTAINS
• Start and closure of season

• Starting storage

• Irrigation release schedules

• Responding to specific situations

 DOP & SOP
• DOP(Design Operation Plan)

prepared at the time of design of the system

• SOP(Seasonal Operation Plan)

to adjust DOP to actual seasonal conditions

 DATA REQUIRED
-WATER RESOURCES
Availability
Storage status
Inflows
-WATER DEMANDS
Cropping plan
Rain fall
 Contd..
-CANAL STATUS
Discharge
Water levels
Losses
-IRRIGATION SCHEDULES
Timing
Duration
So to OPTIMISE every DROP OF
WATER…
LET US;
DESIGN AN OPERATION PLAN
FOR EVERY SCHEME AND
FOR EVERY SEASON
Preparation of Operation Plan-Data
(Contd.)
Irrigation service/command area
Effective rain fall in command area
Reservoir operation policies
Opening date of canals
Irrigation supply mode (half/full)
Flow condition (continuous/Intermittent)
Preparation of Operation Plan-Data
(Contd.)
Crop water demand at aggregate level
- Fortnightly crop water demand at
aggregate level (mm)
 Preparation of Operation Plan-
Steps
Determine irrigation supplies and
supply mode
Develop water delivery and irrigation release
schedules
Assess irrigation requirement
Adopt rules for irrigation releases
 Example
Develop an operation plan for rice in the
khariff season based on the following data
Medium duration crop varieties
will be grown 135 days

Stages in Paddy Cultivation

Nursery rising: 15-30 days

Land preparation &
transplantation: 40 – 45 days
Vegetative: 7-15 days
Flowering : 10-15 days
Yield formation: 7-15 days
Ripening: 8-15 days
 Effective Rainfall in Command Area

Month Effective Rainfall Fort - night effective

(mm) rainfall (mm)

I II
Jun 99.4 26.5 72.9
July 79.5 35.3 44.2
Aug 68.6 45.5 23.1

Sep 94.2 49.8 44.4

Oct. 111.7 62.2 49.5
Nov. 7.9 - 7.9

Effective rainfall is determined here as the 80%

dependable average monthly rainfall:
Crop Water Demand for Rice(Medium Duration)
Aggregate crop water demand in
Month Fort - night
mm

I 15
June
II 86.5
I 62
July
II 135.5
I 108
Aug
II 116
I 115
Sept
II 85.5
I 84.5
Oct
II 39.5
I 9
Nov
II -
Irrigation command area: 40,000 Ha
Seasonal allocation 426 Mm3

Carrying capacity of the

main canal = 58 m3/s
Conveyance efficiency 50 %
 Reservoir Operation Policies
a) Date of opening of canal is 1st June
b) the normal period of irrigation water
supplies is 135 days between June and
November
c) total water releases shall not exceed the
seasonal water allocation
d) the supplies for khariff rice is continuous
during the pudling and transplanting
period.
 IRRIGATION CANAL OPERATION PLAN FOR KHARIF RICE
Month Fort- Accumulate Aggregate Effective Irrign Crop activity Water allowance Water Irrigation supply Irrigation supply
night d crop days crop water rainfall requireme at field allowance mode and flow
nt on the at condition
field reservoir

mm mm mm mm Mm3 Mm3 No. of days Duration Mode Flow

(dates)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

June I 1-15 15 26.5 -- Nursery - - - - - - -

II 16-30 86.5 72.9 13.6 -do- 25.04 10.02 20.04 8 23-30 Half Continuou
s
July I 31-45 62 35.3 26.7 Land preparation 46.95 18.78 37.56 15 1-15 Half Continuou
& Transplantation s

II 46-61 135.5 44.2 91.3 -do- 100.16 40.06 80.12 16 16-31 Full -do-

Aug I 62-76 108 45.5 62.5 -do- 93.9 37.56 75.12 15 1-15 Full -do-

II 77-92 116 23.1 92.9 Vegetative 100.16 40.06 80.12 16 16-31 Full -do-

Sept I 93-107 115 49.8 65.2 Flowering 93.9 37.56 75.12 15 1-15 Full -do-

II 108-122 85.5 44.4 41.1 Yield formation 46.95 18.78 37.56 15 16-30 Half -do-

Oct I 123-137 84.5 62.2 22.3 Ripening 25.04 10.02 20.04 8 1-8 Half Continuou
s
II 138-153 39.5 49.5 - - - - - - - - -

Nov I 154-168 9 - 9 - - - - - - - -

II 169-183 - 7.9 - - - - - - - - -

Total
18 425.68<426 Mm3 (Seasonal allocation)
19
Carrying capacity of the
main canal = 58 m3/s

Command Area = 40,000 ha

= 40,000 x 10 4 m2 (1 ha = 104 m2)

Depth of water in the Command Area

58 m3/s x 24 x 60 x 60)
= -------------------------------- x 1000
40,000 x 10 4
= 12.53 mm/day @ head
(with overall system conveyance efficiency of
50%)
= 6.26 mm/day @ field

15 days full supply @ 6.26 mm/day = 93.9 mm

15 days half supply = 93.9/2 = 46.95 mm
 16 days full supply =6.26x16
= 100.16 mm
16 days half supply =100.16/2
= 50.08 mm
8 days full supply = 6.26x8
= 50.08 mm
8 days half supply = 50.08/2
=25.04 mm
converting “mm” into “Mm3”

1 mm x 40,000 x 10000 m2)

= ------------------------------------------ = 10.02 Mm3

1,000 x 10,00,000

(Command Area = 40,000 ha)

( 1ha = 10000 m2)

(1 Million = 1000000)
(1 m = 1000 mm)
 OPERATION PLAN
ADVANTAGES
• PREDICTABLE AND RELABLE SUPPLY
• SIMPLIFIED SYSTEM OPERATION
• ELIMINATION OF SUDDEN DECISIONS
• ADJUSTMENTS TO SUITE CONDITIONS
• BETTER USE OF AVAILABLE WATER
• BETTER WATER MANAGEMENT
• SATISFACTION OF TAIL-ENDERS
Suggestions Please
 Thank you

Keep in touch:

G.Surender,
Former Director &
Senior Faculty Member,
WALAMTARI ,
Himayathsagar,
Hyderabad- 500 030(T.S.)
ghantasurender@gmail.com
+91 9866661315
www.tswalamtari.org