WRE 451

Hydrology, Irrigation and Flood Management

L4/T1 (Civil Engineering Department)

Tasnuva Rouf, PhD

Assistant Professor, WRE, BUET Lecture Material Preparer:
Badal Mahalder, PhD
Associate Professor, WRE, BUET

Lecture 1: Introduction and Overview, Water Law of Bangladesh

Date: November 18, 2023

 Irrigation Definition

• Irrigation is the controlled application of water for agricultural purposes through

manmade systems to supply water requirements not satisfied by rainfall.
• Crop irrigation is vital throughout the world in order to provide the world's ever-
growing populations with enough food.
• Throughout the world, irrigation (water for agriculture, or growing crops) is
probably the most important use of water (except for drinking).
 Irrigation Definition

• Irrigation has been around for as long as humans have been cultivating plants.
• Man's first invention after he learned how to grow plants from seeds was probably a
bucket.
• Ancient people must have had strong backs from having to haul buckets full of water
to pour on their first plants.
• Pouring water on fields is still a common irrigation method today—but other, more
efficient and mechanized methods are also used.
What is Soil Moisture?
Soil moisture = quantity of water contained in the unsaturated soil on a volumetric basis

Source: Peng et al 2017

5
Motivation

Source: Applied Remote Sensing Training Program

6
 Water Use

• Human use of water increased more than 35 times over the past three centuries.
• In Asia, 86% of water is used for irrigation.
• About 69% of the world's water catchment is used in farming, which continues to
make increasing use of irrigation.
• In most irrigation systems 50 to 60% of the water used, does not benefit the plants.
• The choice of irrigation method depends on the type of crop and economic context.
 Benefits of Irrigation

• Increase in crop yield

• Protection from famine (Extreme Scarcity of food)
• Cultivation of superior crops
• Elimination of mixed cropping
• Economic development
• Hydropower generation
• Domestic and industrial water supply
• Afforestation
 Types of Irrigation Projects

• Major irrigation projects: projects which have a culturable command area (CCA) of
more than 10,000 ha, utilize mostly surface water resources.
• Medium irrigation projects: projects which have CCA less than 10,000 ha. But more
than 2,000 ha, utilizes mostly surface water resources.
• Minor irrigation projects: projects with CCA less than or equal to 2,000 ha, utilizes both
ground water and local surface water resources.
 Types of Irrigation Projects

Ganges-Kobadak (G-K) Irrigation Project

Ganges-Kobadak Irrigation Project a large surface irrigation system of the

country set up by the Bangladesh water development board (BWDB) on the
right bank of the Ganges. The project, better known as (G-K Project) covers
an area of 197,500 ha, of which 142,000 ha are net irrigable, and are under
the jurisdiction of Kushtia, Chuadanga, Jhenaidaha and Magura districts. A
total of 13 upazilas of these 4 districts are covered by the project-Kushtia
Sadar, Kumarkhali, Khoksa, Mirpur, Bheramara, Chuadanga, Alamdanga,
Jhenaidaha, Harinakunda, Shailkupa, Magura Sadar, Sreepur and Daulatpur.
Source: Banglapedia
Multipurpose Irrigation Projects
 Water Policy (1999)

• Support of private development of groundwater irrigation for promoting agricultural

growth will continue, alongside surface water development where feasible.

• But there will be a renewed focus towards increasing efficiency of water use in
irrigation through various measures including drainage-water recycling, rotational
irrigation, adoption of water conserving crop technology where feasible, and
conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water.

• Water allocations in irrigation systems have to be done with equity and social justice.

• Serious consideration should be given to non-point pollution of water systems by

fertilizer and pesticides that are either leached to the groundwater or washed off the
fields to rivers and lakes.
 Water Policy (1999)
For this purpose, the policy of the Government is to:
• Encourage and promote continued development of minor irrigation, where feasible,
without affecting drinking water supplies
• Encourage future groundwater development for irrigation by both the public and the
private sectors, subject to regulations that may be prescribed by Government from time
to time.
• Improve efficiency of resource utilization through conjunctive use of all forms of surface
water and groundwater for irrigation and urban water supply.
• Strengthen crop diversification programs for efficient water utilization.
• Strengthen the regulatory system for agricultural chemicals that pollute ground and
surface water, and develop control mechanism for reducing non-point pollution from
agro-chemicals.
• Strengthen appropriate monitoring organizations for tracking groundwater recharge,
surface and groundwater use, and changes in surface and groundwater quality.
 Bangladesh Water Act (2013)
 It is an act to make provisions for development, management, abstraction, distribution,
use, protection and conservation of national resources in an integrated approach.

 The act is applicable for the surface water, ground water, sea water, rain water and water
in the atmosphere in the territory of Bangladesh.

 For the purpose of this act a small council which is called “National Water Resource
Council” presided by the Prime Minister has been constituted.

• Exchange and assess any information of common water resources;

• Joint research on international rivers;
• Prevention measures for chemical and organic pollution;
• Measures for the distribution of the water of international rivers;
• Organization of educational and training programs on water resources.
Water Act (2013)
Bangladesh Water Rules (2018)