Water Users Association and Irrigation Management - Institute for ...

River made the regIOn suitable for growmg a great variety of crops. Improper and
insufficient surface drainage has caused the water tale to rise and natural drainage like
gullies, streams, etc., has become inadequate for conducting the extra drainage. Also the
rise of the water table has been attributed to different factors like the raising of heavy
perennial crops like paddy and sugarcane. The most important cause of salinization, as
brought out by the study is saline ground water and high capillary rise in the clayey soils.
The benctits of this irrigation scheme lasted only for 5-6 years after which followed the
backlash. Some of the remedial mcasures suggested are conjunctive use of surface and
ground water, lining of canals, irrigation tanks, etc., provision of proper surface and subsurface
drainage, adoption of new cropping pattern depending on the water table depth and
implementation of micro irrigation systems like drip and micro sprinklers. However, the
study does not look into the productivity of the lands affected by waterlogging and salinity.
An attempt has been made by some scholars to assess the potential waterlogging and
salinity problems in the Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar Project. Ruitenbeek & Cartier
(1995) have stated that soil degradation and fertility loss from waterlogging is anticipated
in 1,00,000 hectares in the Narmada Sagar project area. A study on the waterlogging
potential of Narmada Sagar Project done by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
(lISe), reports that, about 40 percent of the command area will become waterlogged given
the surface/ground water use pattern proposed in the original design of the project
(Sridharan & Vedula 1985). The study has emphasized a use of not more than 70 percent of
the water from the dam canals and the remaining from wells in order to check the
waterlogging problem. It recommends that a well be dug every 6.2 hectares, with a 3 bhp
motor, and that water be pumped out from each for an average 400 hours per year. But this
lifting of water from wells will entail more cost, which has not been taken into
consideration in the cost-benefit analysis. For the Sardar Sarovar Project, the project
authorities claim that the lining of the canals, conjunctive use of groundwater and a much
more limited supply of water per unit of land than given in previous projects, will greatly
reduce the possibility of waterlogging.
There are some studies in the international context, which are important and will be
reviewed here. A study on the Indus River Basin of Pakistan gives a comprehensive
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