Assessment of Irrigation and Agriculture Potential of the Krishna River Basin using Geospatial Techniques

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of present work is an assessment of the irrigation potential of the canal network located over the Krishna River basin in Sangli district of Maharashtra and also the requirement of water in the crops lying in that region. Methods/Statistical analysis: Irrigation potential of the canals was calculated using the canal length derived from high resolution CARTOSAT-1 whereas for calculating the agriculture potential other factors such as Rainfall, Temperature, Soil type, Elevation, Water holding capacity were used. Findings: The study reveals that, Balance IP is estimated to be 526.801ha from the proposed IP and Satellite IP. Gaps are present in the minors and distributaries due to land acquisition problem. From results it can also be concluded that the major amount of Kharif crops lie at the higher elevation and the soil has comparatively low water holding capacity whereas Rabi crops lie at a lower elevation and the soil has comparatively higher capacity to hold water. Double crops or perennial crops are observed to grow near the canals. They are usually seemed to be grown on medium to low-lying areas and they have high water holding capacity. Due to irrigation, these crops are highly benefited. Application/Improvements: Irrigation is the efficient usage of fresh water, and with the growing scarcity of this essential natural resource, it is becoming increasingly important to maximize efficiency of water usage. It implies accurate management of irrigation and control of application depths in order to apply water effectively according to crop needs. Assessing irrigation and agriculture potential is an important activity in successful agriculture management.