Optimal cropping pattern design for a major distributary of Hirakud canal command in India

Abstract

Gravity flow on field to field flooding basis is prevalent in most of the canal command areas in India. Furthermore, the canals being mostly unlined and at many sections ill maintained, enormous conveyance loss of water occurs causing dwindling crop production. Hirakud canal command area located in India is no exception to this predicament. Thus, augmentation of irrigation infrastructures vis-à-vis prudent crop planning is of paramount importance for increasing the overall efficiency of the canal system. This paper describes development of optimal crop planning in the Hirakud command area by considering different objectives of planning (scenarios) so that improvement in irrigation efficiency, in terms of water productivity could be feasible. Among various scenarios, the cropping pattern obtained under Scenario—II, i.e. to utilize the maximum area for cultivation, under the constraint of limiting water availability for each outlet was found to be feasible for optimal land and water utilization and generation of requisite employment. However, keeping in view the affinity of the farmers towards paddy (a heavy duty crop), Scenario—III i.e. to utilize the maximum area for cultivation with the constraints of limited irrigation water availability, and providing irrigation to heavy duty crops for at least one-third of the culturable command area of each outlet, can be adopted.