Sectoral Conjunctive Use Planning for Optimal Cropping under Hydrological Uncertainty

Abstract

The canal command of the Hirakud multipurpose major irrigation project of Orissa in eastern India is under severe threat of waterlogging in the monsoon season and acute shortage of irrigation water in the nonmonsoon season. An irrigation scheduling model (ISM) and a linear-programming optimization model (LPM) under hydrologic uncertainty were developed with a view to manage the available land and water resources of the canal command effectively. The ISM was used to predict actual crop yield under different irrigation strategies—namely, full and deficit depths of irrigation. The crop yield obtained by the ISM under different irrigation management strategies was used in the LPM to optimize the land and water resources of the canal command at different probability of exceedances of net irrigation requirement and canal-water availability. The net annual return was found to decrease with the increase in the level of deficit with maximum return under full irrigation strategy. Hence, from the benefit point of vi...