Rajasthan: Irrigation and Hydropower
At the time of independence there was 1 major project, 43 medium and 2272 minor projects and the irrigation potential was only 4 lac ha. Hence after independence the state irrigation department was formed in 1949 with the objective of increasing the production of the food and fodder and to establish a suitable irrigation system to control the losses due to drought and flood. With this objective many projects were taken up by the department to increase the irrigation potential.
Rajasthan accounts for 10.41% geographical area of the country ,5.5 % of total Population and 2/3rd part is desert. State is divided into 16 basins, out of which only two basins (Chambal & Mahi) are having sufficient rainfall and yield.
Important Irrigation Projects and Dams of Rajasthan
Bisalpur Dam
Bisalpur Dam on the Banas river in Tonk district is a gravity dam and major source of drinking water supply to capital city of Jaipur. The project was co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In 2016, the almost-dry Pushkar Lake was filled with water from the Bisalpur reservoir for the annual Pushkar Fair.
Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam
Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam across the Mahi river is the second largest dam in Rajasthan. The Mahi Dam in Banswara is famous for canals and beautiful surroundings,situated 16 kilometres from Banswara. It is the second largest dam in Rajasthan. It is named after Jamnalal Bajaj. The Mahi is a river in western India. It rises in Madhya Pradesh and, after flowing through the Vagad region of Rajasthan, enters Gujarat and flows into the Arabian Sea. There are large number of islands within the catchment area of the dam, so Banswara also called popularly called as “City of Hundred Islands”.The dam is easily accessible by road.The dam has an installed capacity of 140 MW. The Mahi river flowing into the Gulf of Khambhat is on the verge of extinction due to pollution and salinity. The river Mahi originates from Sardarpura village of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh and flows through M.P. Rajasthan and Gujarat before conversing into bay of Khambat in Gujarat state. From water potential point of view, the Mahi river basin is the third largest among fifteen well defined and discriminated river basins of Rajasthan state.
Rana Pratap Sagar Dam
Rana Pratap Sagar Dam is one of the major dams built on India’s Chambal river, located in Rawatbhata in Rajasthan. The renowned Ranapratap Sagar gravity masonry dam is second largest dam on Chambal river and one of the major dam of Chambal Valley Project. It is part of integrated scheme of a cascade development of the river involving four projects starting with the Gandhi Sagar Dam in the upstream reach (48 kilometres (30 mi) upstream) in Madhya Pradesh and the Jawahar Sagar Dam on the downstream (28 kilometres (17 mi) downstream) with a terminal structure of the Kota Barrage (28 kilometres (17 mi) further downstream) in Rajasthan for irrigation.
Meja Dam
Meja Dam in the mewar region of Rajasthan is the biggest dam of Bhilwara and the lake is home to number of mammals and birds. Bhilwara Meja Dam is located 20 km away from Bhilwara city and surrounding area is famous for its green mount park. Main flowing river in the district is Banas river which is dry due to less rainfall in the catchment and as a consequence large numbers of tubewells sunk in Kankroliya Ghati area could not get recharged sufficiently.
Jawai Dam
Jawai Dam is constructed over the Jawai river near Sumerpur town in Pali district. The Jawai dam is biggest dam in the western Rajasthan and the lake is paradise for migratory birds and crocodile. built across the Jawai river, a tributary of Luni river. With the same name, a village also situated near to the dam and a railway station on Ajmer-Ahmedabad route.
Besides being a Winter paradise for migratory birds, it is the main water supply source for Jodhpur city and parts of Pali district. If there is sufficient water in the dam, then some villages of Jalore district and Pali district get water for irrigation from the Jawai dam, which was the main aim in making this dam.
Indira Gandhi Canal
The Indira Gandhi Canal is one of the largest canal projects in India. It starts from the Harike Barrage at Harike, a few kilometers below the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers in the Indian state of Punjab and terminates in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert in the north west of Rajasthan state. Previously known as the Rajasthan Canal, it was renamed the Indira Gandhi Canal in 1985 following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The canal consists of the Rajasthan feeder canal with the first 167 kilometres (104 mi) in Punjab and Haryana state and a further 37 kilometres (23 mi) in Rajasthan followed by the 445 kilometres (277 mi) of the Rajasthan main canal, which is entirely within Rajasthan. The canal enters Haryana from Punjab near Lohgarh village then runs through the western part of the Sirsa district before entering Rajasthan near Kharakhera village in the Tibbi tehsil of the Hanumangarh district. The canal traverses seven districts of Rajasthan: Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Sriganganagar.
For efficient and optimum use of water available in project, it has been decided to establish Sprinkler Irrigation system in lift schemes of stage-II. A pilot project of sprinkler irrigation was taken up in 27,449 hectare in the year 2007-08, in which all works to be executed by department have been completed. All Water User Associations (WUA) proposed in this area have been constituted and irrigation with sprinklers has been started in 21,262 hectare after taking electric connections.
Water Resources Department
Water Resources Department of Rajasthan has done a very important work by utilizing, managing and exploiting its meager water resources in the form of major, medium and minor irrigation projects. With the consistent efforts of the Department, irrigation potential has been raised to 38.32 lakh hectare by 2015-16 while before independence it was only 4 lakh hectare surface irrigation. During financial year 2016-17, 16,076 hectare (including IGNP) additional irrigation potential has been created upto December, 2016.
Four Water Concept
The Four Water Concept is integral part of IWMP. During the year 2016-17 a provision of 50 crore has been made for work execution based on four water concept. The department has received `47.92 crore for treatment of catchment of 247 minor irrigation tanks selected in Mahi and Chambal Basins and an expenditure of 25.10 crore has been incurred upto November, 2016.
Mukhyamantri Jal Swawlamban Abhiyaan (MJSA)
The main purpose of this Abhiyaan is to makeapproximately 21,000 villages water wise self reliant
In four years by raising funds through convergence, public contributions and donations etc. for financial gap filling for MJSA. Under this, State Government has decided to initiate MJSA by covering various line department activities and funds as well as by providing separate budget form State. In the first phase of MJSA covered 3,529 villages and out of 96,709 works, 95,071 works completed. For the second phase approximately 1,38,257 works have been identified in approximately 4,214 villages and second phase has been inaugurated on 9th December, 2016.
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Rajasthan is a state in northwestern India. It is the largest state in India by area, covering 342,239 square kilometers (132,139 sq mi). The state is bordered by Pakistan to the northwest, Gujarat to the west, Haryana and Punjab to the north, Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and the Union Territory of Delhi to the southeast. The capital of Rajasthan is Jaipur.
Rajasthan is a desert state, with most of the state covered by the Thar Desert. The state has a hot, dry Climate, with Average temperatures ranging from 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer.
Rajasthan is a major agricultural state, with agriculture accounting for about 20% of the state’s GDP. The main crops grown in Rajasthan are wheat, rice, Cotton, and sugarcane. The state also has a significant Livestock population, with about 60 million cattle.
Irrigation is essential for agriculture in Rajasthan, as the state receives very little rainfall. The main sources of irrigation in Rajasthan are canals, tube wells, tanks, Drip Irrigation, and sprinkler irrigation.
Canal Irrigation is the most important source of irrigation in Rajasthan, accounting for about 60% of the state’s irrigated area. The state has a Network of canals that are fed by the Indira Gandhi Canal, the Chambal Canal, and the Rajasthan Canal.
Tube well irrigation is the second most important source of irrigation in Rajasthan, accounting for about 30% of the state’s irrigated area. Tube wells are used to extract groundwater, which is then used to irrigate crops.
Tank Irrigation is the third most important source of irrigation in Rajasthan, accounting for about 10% of the state’s irrigated area. Tanks are man-made reservoirs that are used to store rainwater. The water from tanks is then used to irrigate crops.
Drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation are relatively new methods of irrigation that are becoming increasingly popular in Rajasthan. Drip irrigation is a method of irrigation in which water is delivered directly to the roots of Plants through a network of pipes. Sprinkler irrigation is a method of irrigation in which water is sprayed onto crops from above.
Hydropower is a form of RENEWABLE ENERGY that is generated by the flow of water. Hydropower is a major source of electricity in Rajasthan, accounting for about 10% of the state’s electricity generation.
There are three main types of hydropower plants in Rajasthan: run-of-the-river hydropower plants, pumped storage hydropower plants, and storage hydropower plants.
Run-of-the-river hydropower plants are the simplest type of hydropower plant. They use the natural flow of water to generate electricity. Pumped storage hydropower plants are used to store energy during periods of low demand and then release the energy during periods of high demand. Storage hydropower plants are used to store water during periods of high rainfall and then release the water during periods of low rainfall.
Rajasthan has a significant potential for hydropower development. The state has several rivers that could be used to generate hydropower. However, the development of hydropower in Rajasthan has been hampered by a number of factors, including environmental concerns and the lack of Investment.
Despite the challenges, the development of hydropower in Rajasthan has the potential to provide a significant source of renewable energy for the state. The development of hydropower could also help to improve the economy of Rajasthan and create jobs.
What is irrigation?
Irrigation is the artificial application of water to land to assist in the growing of crops.
What are the different types of irrigation?
There are many different types of irrigation, but the most common are surface irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and drip irrigation.
Surface irrigation is the oldest and most common type of irrigation. It involves flooding the land with water from a canal, ditch, or river.
Sprinkler irrigation involves spraying water onto the land from above. This type of irrigation is more efficient than surface irrigation, but it can be more expensive to set up and maintain.
Drip irrigation is the most efficient type of irrigation. It involves delivering water directly to the roots of plants through a network of small pipes.
What are the benefits of irrigation?
Irrigation can increase crop yields, improve crop quality, and extend the growing season. It can also help to control pests and diseases.
What are the challenges of irrigation?
Irrigation can be expensive to set up and maintain. It can also be a major source of Water Pollution. In addition, irrigation can lead to Soil erosion and Salinization.
What is hydropower?
Hydropower is the use of water to generate electricity.
How does hydropower work?
Hydropower works by using the force of moving water to turn a turbine. The turbine is connected to a Generator, which produces electricity.
What are the benefits of hydropower?
Hydropower is a renewable energy source that does not produce greenhouse gases. It is also a reliable source of electricity, as it can be generated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What are the challenges of hydropower?
Hydropower projects can have a significant impact on the Environment. They can also be expensive to build and maintain.
What are the future of irrigation and hydropower?
The future of irrigation and hydropower is uncertain. Climate Change is expected to make water resources more scarce, which could make irrigation more difficult and expensive. In addition, the environmental impact of hydropower projects is becoming more of a concern.
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Which of the following is not a major river in Rajasthan?
(A) Chambal
(B) Yamuna
(C) Sutlej
(D) Luni -
The Indira Gandhi Canal is a major irrigation project in Rajasthan. It is also known as the:
(A) Rajasthan Canal
(B) Rajasthan Canal Project
(C) Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana
(D) Indira Gandhi Nahar Project -
The Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates an area of about:
(A) 10 million hectares
(B) 12 million hectares
(C) 14 million hectares
(D) 16 million hectares -
The Indira Gandhi Canal is a major source of water for irrigation in Rajasthan. It also provides water for drinking, industrial, and other purposes.
(A) True
(B) False -
The Indira Gandhi Canal is a controversial project. Some people believe that it has caused environmental damage, while others believe that it has been a boon to the state of Rajasthan.
(A) True
(B) False -
The Bhakra Dam is a major hydroelectric project in Rajasthan. It is located on the Sutlej River.
(A) True
(B) False -
The Bhakra Dam was built in the 1960s. It is the largest dam in India.
(A) True
(B) False -
The Bhakra Dam generates about 1,300 megawatts of electricity.
(A) True
(B) False -
The Bhakra Dam has been a major source of hydroelectric power for India. It has also helped to control floods and improve irrigation in the region.
(A) True
(B) False -
The Bhakra Dam has been controversial project. Some people believe that it has caused environmental damage, while others believe that it has been a boon to India.
(A) True
(B) False