Study on Issues and Remedies of Waterlogging in Hirakud Command - Key to Enhance Crop and Water Productivity

Abstract

The present study deals with finding out the causes of rising groundwater table that creates waterlogging in the Hirakud command of Odisha. The study reveals that during the 55 years of construction of the project, the groundwater table in the command has risen by more than 5 m. In the head reach, the rise is more as compared to the lower reach. The main factors that contribute to the waterlogging are (i) faulty water management practice (ii) intensive rice-rice cultivation (iii) plot to plot irrigation in rice field instead of using field channel (iv) continuous canal flow etc. Some remedies to reclaim the waterlogged areas and decrease the groundwater table are also mentioned in this paper. Construction of parallel field surface drain at 10 m drain spacing is recommended in the ayacut to decline the rising groundwater table which may facilitate the farmers to grow even some non-rice crops in the ayacut and increase water productivity.