CONJUNCTIVE USE OF SURFACE AND

GROUND WATER

UNDER THE GUIDANCE: Submitted by:

DR. M. K.NAGARAJ ARCHANA J
WREM
08WR01F

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Overviews:
 Definition
 Water storage - subsurface & surface
 Conjunctive use models
 Advantages
 Disadvantages
 Case study
 Conclusion
 References

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What is conjunctive use?
Conjunctive use implies the planned and co-
ordinated harnessing of ground water and
surface water resources so as to achieve
optimal utilisation of total water resources.

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Water Storage:
Which reservoirs to develop: surface or subsurface?
Subsurface water storage:
Advantages:
 Surface reservoirs are lost forever once they are silted up,
while underground storage capacity - unaffected.

 Yields from groundwater storage, less affected by

evaporation and leakage.

 It is less prone to pollution than surface water.

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Contd…..
 Less risk of seepage or evaporation losses during storage and
transmission.

 There is less ecological hazard.

 It is less liable to deterioration than surface water.

 The cost of storing groundwater is less.

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Constraints of ground water storage:

 Not all areas are bountiful in GW resources and such areas

depend on surface water.

 wells interfere adversely when large supplies are required.

 Its withdrawal is a highly energy intensive process, while

surface water is often available by gravity flow;

 surface reservoirs are suitable for multiple uses, such as flood

control, power generation, navigation etc.

 mineralization is generally lower in surface water storage.

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 Why is surface water storage always preferred?

 Gw aquifers offer large storage capacity able to absorb large

volumes of flood in a short period of time but unable to return
them as significant discharge.

 surface water storage, because of the large investments

involved, is often preferred because it offers a much higher
political visibility & high construction costs give an
opportunity for private profit.

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Conjunctive use models:
 Conjunctive use scheme can be operated at maximum
efficiency by employing models.

 Mathematical, analog and digital computer models.

 Models- reproduce inter-relationships b/w gw level,

stream flow & related factors of rainfall & gw abstraction
& to help the understanding of observed data.

 Also be used to predict the effects of different gw

abstractions & artificial recharge options on the overall
hydrological cycle.

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 Mathematical model: MODFLOW
“Modular Three Dimensional Finite Difference
Groundwater Flow Model”- stimulate the gw
conditions in the study area.
 Area- divided into nodes in latitudinal & longitudinal
directions.
 Each node is centre of grid block- unit area (sq.km)

 Area modeled as multi-layered system comprising

phreatic aquifer as layer 1 underlain by semi-confined
& confined aquifers as layer 2 & so on.

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 Contd….

 The input data were fed to the model & using

these data, the model was calibrated &
validated.
 The calibrated model was utilised for
predicting different scenarios by imposing
stresses in terms of recharge due to
application of canal water.
 It has helped in planning future groundwater
development programmes.

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Advantages of Conjunctive use:

 Optimization of water use.

 Greater flood control.

 Reduces peak demands for irrigation and hence reduce size

of canals & hence construction costs;

 It ensures proper irrigation scheduling, even if rainfall fails

or is delayed;

 Gw withdrawals lower the water table thus reducing the risk

of water-logging, soil salinization and consequent wastage
of water for leaching the soils;
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Contd…
 surface and subsurface outflows are minimized, causing
reduction in peak runoff;

 when it is integrated with artificial recharge the need for

lining canals is reduced, as seepage from canals replenishes
groundwater;

 It allows the utilization of saline or brackish ground or

surface water resources, either by mixing them with
freshwater, or by using alternate water resources for
irrigation.

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Disadvantages:
 Possibility of deterioration of gw quality due to excessive
pumping.

 increased energy consumption for pumping.

 Operation and monitoring is difficult..

 reduction in pumping efficiency, due to large fluctuations in

gw levels;

 If water is derived from different sources at different times,

water supplied to the consumer may change from soft water
to hard gw. This may cause problems or be unsatisfactory.

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1. Madhya Ganga Canal Project, Uttar Pradesh:

 UP had a network of disused

earthen surface drains-
1950s- water logging and
floods.

 After the 1950s, groundwater

use created new opportunities
by building check structures
at suitable intervals to
promote groundwater
recharge with monsoon
floodwaters.

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 Benefits?
 26 percent increase in net farmer income
 decrease in avg depth of gw from 12 meters-1988 to 6.5
meters-1998
 Annual energy savings of 75.6 million kilowatt hrs &
pumping cost savings of Rs. 180 million
 increase in canal irrigation from 1,251hectares-1988 to
37,108 hectares-1998
 15-fold increase in rice area
 50 percent reduction in conveyance losses

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Conclusions:

 Conjunctive use schemes are complex &

have some significant advantages &
disadvantages.

 It may be advisable not to attempt such a

scheme unless there is adequate data &
justification.

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References:
 Karanth K., “Groundwater assessment.
Development and management”. Tata McGraw-Hill
(1987), New Delhi.
 Murray Rust, H., and E. Vander Velde. 1992.
“Conjunctive Use of surface and Groundwater”.
Advancements in IIMI’s Research 1992.
 Todd D., “Groundwater hydrology”. Wiley (1959),
New York.

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THANK YOU

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