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GIS based approach for calculation of canal conveyance losses

Article · December 2013

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 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Vol. 2 Issue 12, December - 2013

GIS Based Approach for Calculation of Canal Conveyance Losses

Ch Ramesh Naidu1, Mvss Giridhar2
1
Research Scholar, Civil Engineering Department, JNTUH, Hyderabad, India
2
Assistant Professor, Centre for Water Resources, JNTUH, Hyderabad, India

Abstract ground water and soil information. The non spatial data
was linked to spatial features with unique feature IDs.
It is important for the irrigation engineers to initially Enrique and John (2012) conducted a case study to
understand and estimate the canal conveyance losses in estimate the conveyance efficiency within irrigation
irrigating the crops. These losses accounts more in the systems. A linear model was developed for estimating
case of unlined canals when compared to lined canals. conveyance efficiency and two component factors on
Calculation of these losses with respect to soil the basis of statistical analysis of daily water releases
characteristics and topography is an added advantage from the source of supply and delivery to the farmers in
in utilizing the optimum amount of water distribution to an irrigation district of Mexico.
fields. GIS based system aids in analyzing the spatial
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information of a canal to enable better planning by Conveyance losses are defined as the losses due to
engineers and farmers followed by effective seepage of water during the course of the canal. The
management and supply of water resources. conveyance losses are generally higher in course-
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Integrating and analyzing the multiple themes using textured soil, channels having a relatively higher
GIS helps to assess the water requirements and elevation than the surrounding land, channels that are
optimum amount of water distribution through canals. relatively long and also channels with poor
Utilizing GIS network model, the total length of the maintenance. Conveyance loss can be calculated in
canal system was identified as 155.846 km. Using GIS terms of the return flow from one user and the value
software, the soil data base was created for the before the withdrawal of the next user. Conveyance
command area. The clay soils are predominant and loss is also determined by the loss attributed to canal
found 49% in the study area whereas sandy and loamy seepage coupled with the estimate of evaporation.
soils occupied 29% and 22% respectively. There are several methods used commonly to measure
canal seepage. These include inflow-outflow studies,
ponding tests, and seepage-meter studies. In this study,
GIS technology and its powerful tools were used to
Introduction
calculate the conveyance losses by taking several
parameters at one attempt.
This paper is a part of research work and highlights the
advantages of GIS in mapping the canal network in
using GIS network model, delineating the command STUDY AREA
area in to block/sub-Blocks and calculating the canal
conveyance losses canal-wise and up to sub-block level Wazirabad command area falls under Zone I; block
with a special emphasis on canal water management. No.5 of left main canal of the Nagarjuna Sagar Project
Losses in irrigation system lead to overall in-efficiency (NSP). The area is located between 16°39'2.84" and
in terms of water productivity. Conveyance losses and 16°56'40.81" N latitude and 79°25'16.01" and
field application losses plays a major role in 79°40'52.90" E longitude. The study area is bounded by
distributing the optimum amount of Irrigation Water to Musi River in the East, Krishna River in the South,
the fields. Sarangi et al. (2011) carried out a study on Lalbahadur canal in the North and Tungapadu vagu in
Patna canal system and its distribution. The study was a the West. In the command area reserved forest occupies
GIS based schedule and calculation of irrigation 18 to 20 percent. The location map and the base map of
requirements of Sone Command area. This involved the study area is shown in Fig 1.
digitization and database generation of canals, rainfall,

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 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Vol. 2 Issue 12, December - 2013

Fig. 1 - Location Map of the Wazirabad Canal

Command Area

GEOSPATIAL DATA BASE CREATION

The existing Survey of India topo maps, soil and block

maps are scanned in 400 dpi and imported in Erdas
Imagery in .img format. Georeferencing is done using
Erdas software. Base features viz., canal, road,
settlement, rail, forest, drainage and water body were Fig 1 Methodology for the study
digitized and converted to GIS shape files from SOI
topo maps and updated using the satellite imageries.
Soil map was digitized and converted to GIS format to
facilitate overlay analysis for calculation of conveyance
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losses. Canal network data structure is important to
assess the spatial distribution of the water demand and
supply for the irrigation planning and management. The
irrigation in Wazirabad command area is distributed by
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unlined canals. The data was prepared in a network

module which constitutes nodes and lines. The node
data refers to sluice OT and line refers to canal. The
flow direction and continuity errors were taken care
while digitization and later checked for continuity in
the Arc GIS network module. The canal IDs are created
with a unique multi digit number that constitutes an
alphanumeric combination. All canal reaches have only
one upstream reach but have more than one
downstream reaches. Moreover, only the upstream
reach ID is kept for each section in the developed data
system. The hierarchy of relationship can be retrieved
through the use of upper id. The block and sub-block
boundaries under each canal are delineated reference to
canal network, DEM, Aspect and drainage network.
The blocks and sub-blocks are mapped as per the type
of canal and its flow direction. If the canal is a ridge
canal blocks are identified on both sides of it and if it is
a contour canal blocks are on one side only. Spread of a
block or sub-block is between the canal and the
drainage line. The study methodology is shown in Fig
1. The canal map and the overlay map of canal and soil
map of the study area is shown in Fig 2 and Fig 3.
Fig 2 Canal Map of the Study Area

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 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Vol. 2 Issue 12, December - 2013

with soil theme based on the efficiencies of unlined

canals on different soil categories. The conveyance loss
per meter channel length differs per channel type and is
0.2 m³ per day (Van Lieshout and Brouwer, 2009) for
clay channels and will increase proportionately based
on the efficiencies of unlined canals on various soils.
FAO is defined some indicative values of canal
conveyance efficiency for unlined canals based on the
soil type and canal lengths. These values are taken for
calculation of conveyance losses interactively using
GIS software. Using the soil and canal length
parameters the losses criteria had been arrived with
reference to the Table 1.

Table 1 Criteria for calculation of conveyance losses

Canal Conveyance loss for unlined

Category canals

(Cubic Meter/Day)

Sand Loam Clay

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Fig 3 Canal map overlay on Soil Map in GIS
Platform Long-L(>2000 0.28(60 0.25(7 0.23(80%)
m) %) 0%)
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Medium- 0.25(70 0.23(7 0.21(85%)

CALCULATION OF CANAL M(200-2000 m) %) 5%)
CONVEYANCE LOSSES IN GIS
Short-S(<200 0.24(80 0.22(8 0.2(90%)
A combination of factors from FAO and US Bureau of m) %) 5%)
Reclamation Data is considered for calculation of
conveyance losses. Since the canals are old and the
underlying soil is silted from years with very fine sand
(almost impermeable), the present conveyance losses
due to percolation in the canal section are very less and RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
the difference between the soils is only countable in
seepage losses. This slight difference of losses between By means of the canal network, soil, crop, WUA and
different soils is seen as the criteria for calculating the block themes, the conveyance losses were calculated in
conveyance losses. In this study the parameters viz., the GIS platform using Arc GIS software. The
canal network and the lengths between the canal off conveyance losses estimated in the GIS software for the
takes, detailed block areas under major to minor canals entire canal section are 7936 million litres. The
and soil characteristics of the command area are taken conveyance losses for the entire canal network in the
as thematic inputs. According to FAO, in large command area was estimated and used same for both
command areas and canal systems large quantity of the years to calculate irrigation demand due to the non
water is lost than in small command areas and small change of canal sections and also soil beneath the
canal network due to a longer canal system. Due to this canal. The conveyance losses invariably vary from
the Wazirabad canal system has been categorized into canal to canal due to the above factors. Significant
long, medium and short canals. This study has shown difference is observed between the sandy and clayey
the spatially distributed losses under each canal for command areas. This is due to the varied soil types
each soil type. Conveyance losses have been calculated (sandy is porous) in the command area. The variations
by GIS Overlay analysis by intersecting canal theme are ranging from 1 to 25 MLD (million litres per day)
per km. The losses of the canals WL5 and WR1 are 25

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 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Vol. 2 Issue 12, December - 2013

and 10 MLD per KM. The conveyance losses MLD (million litres per day) per km. The losses of the
calculated from GIS for each canal/block are given in canals WL5 and WR1 are 25 and 10 MLD per km.
Table 2.
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Table 2- Canal/Block wise Conveyance Losses
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ISSN: 2278-0181
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