Groundwater Extraction For Irrigation Research Articles

Watering the Seeds of the Rural Economy: Evidence from Groundwater Irrigation in India

ABSTRACT This study explores the impact of private investment in groundwater extraction for irrigation on the spatial and sectoral distribution of rural economic activity in India. Exploiting a kink in access to groundwater, generated from an absolute technological constraint on the operational capacity of irrigation pumps with depth of the water table, there is evidence of a significant improvement in agricultural production accompanied with modest consumption gains. Groundwater extraction causes a substantial increase in population density, but has no effect on the employment rate or labor reallocation between sectors of the economy. Furthermore, irrigated agriculture appears to provide additional employment opportunities for waged labor from surrounding non-irrigated villages.

Microplastic pollution in the groundwater under a bedrock island in the South China sea

Groundwater is the only freshwater resource on islands. Research on microplastic pollution in groundwater on islands is scarce. This study is the first to explore microplastic pollution in the groundwater under a bedrock island (Dawanshan Island) located in the South China Sea. The influence of hydrogeological factors on the distribution, source, and ageing features of microplastics in the groundwater were investigated. Despite the small scale of industrial and agricultural activities on the island, the amount of microplastics in the groundwater ranged from 34 to 64 particles/L, with over 80% of the microplastics being polyester fibres with diameters smaller than 2 mm, which is comparable to those in coastal cities. These microplastics were originated from inland plastic usage, rather than from the surrounding sea, which was confirmed by the lack of seawater intrusion on the island. Owing to the low permeability of granite, microplastics were mainly distributed in the water of the loose layer of porous sediment, and their quantity decreased with depth. In addition, the abundance of microplastics in pore groundwater increased with an increase in the velocity of groundwater flow. The severity of microplastic pollution in the groundwater increased with an increase and decrease in the content of total dissolved solids and dissolved oxygen, respectively. The microplastics originated from plastic waste disposed of on the island, rather than from seawater intrusion. Also, through groundwater infiltration into exposed soil at recharge areas, artificial wells at residential areas, and water exchange with surface water at valley areas. Microplastics buried in the groundwater aged faster along the migration path of the groundwater. These microplastics threaten the safety of people and plants on the island through exposure resulting from the extraction of groundwater for irrigation, while they endanger marine life through submarine groundwater discharge.

Submarine groundwater discharge: An Asian overview

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is the combination of fresh and saline groundwater flux to marine system through continental boundaries regardless of its chemical composition and factors influencing the flow. We have discussed the SGD studies in the Asian context; SGD has been studied in various parts of Asia, including China, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. In China, SGD has been studied in several coastal regions, including the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea. In Japan, SGD has been studied in the Pacific coast, where it has been found to be an important source of fresh water to the coastal ocean. In South Korea, SGD has been studied in the Yellow Sea, where it has been found to be an important source of fresh water to the coastal ocean. In Southeast Asia, SGD has been studied in several countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Recently the SGD studies acquired much development India, the research on SGD in India is limited, and more studies are needed to understand the SGD process, its impact on the coastal environment, and the management strategies, Groundwater extraction for irrigation, industry, and domestic use is increasing in India, which can affect the SGD process in coastal aquifers. Overall, the studies suggest that SGD is an important process in Asian coastal regions, playing a role in the supply of fresh water and the transport of pollutants and nutrients.

Application of modified managed aquifer recharge model for groundwater management in drought-prone water-stressed Barind Tract, Bangladesh

The core challenge of Barind Tract (BT), located in the northwest region of Bangladesh, is to make water available for agricultural, drinking, domestic, and other uses and ultimately for the survival of flora and fauna. Over extraction of groundwater for irrigation, less rainfall, fewer sources of surface water, high temperature, and thick top clay that limits the natural recharge are the major causes of continuous depletion of groundwater level (GWL) in the BT, which demands managed aquifer recharge (MAR) technique as the modified form matching with the lithology as well as the aquifer condition of the area. So, the study aimed to design, construct a recharge well (RW) and a water filtration unit as a specific MAR method to evaluate their performance for groundwater recharging through rooftop rainwater harvesting in the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) Mohanpur office campus, Rajshahi under the BT region. In this view, necessary data and information like rainfall, GWL, lithology, and other information related to the study were collected from the BMDA Mohanpur office and field investigation. Lithological samples of the Mohanpur office campus were collected through drilling arrangement, and grain sizes of the aquifer samples were analyzed in the laboratory, then designed the RW and installed at the BMDA Mohanpur office campus accordingly. A water filtration unit was designed considering the average maximum daily rainfall. Rooftop rain waters were collected from the office building and a training shed near the uPVC pipeline, filtered through the sand-gravel filtration media of the filtration unit, and finally recharged to the groundwater through RW. GWL fluctuation of the observation well (OW) installed near the RW was monitored using Auto Water Level Recorder (AWLR). Performances were evaluated based on groundwater recharge, GWL fluctuation with the rainfall, and quality of water. The study found that groundwater recharging occurred significantly, groundwater level rose when rainwater was infiltrated into the groundwater, and water quality parameters remained within the acceptable limit for drinking use according to standards like Bangladesh Drinking Water Standard (2005) and WHO (2008).

New Indicators to Discriminate the Cause of Low Energy Efficiency in Deep-Well Pumps

The extraction of groundwater for irrigation with submerged pumps in deep wells is energy intensive, but is essential for irrigated agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. To evaluate the performance of these pumping stations, there are several commonly used energy efficiency indicators that show whether the pumping system is working properly or not, but they do not indicate the cause of inadequate performance. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to propose, calibrate and validate a set of new indicators, to identify the possible cause of inefficiencies in the design and operation of deep-well pumps and to serve as a helpful tool in decision-making throughout their life cycle. After their definition, they were applied to 22 pumping wells for calibration, and were validated in a single pumping well in three different stages of its life cycle. The results show that wells with low energy efficiency (41%) have operational problems (33%), design problems (11%) or both (56%). The application of the indicators to a well in three stages of its life cycle allowed preventive maintenance to be performed, generating energy savings of 11% with a payback period of 0.6 years, which proves the usefulness of the indicators with regard to improving energy management and the maintenance of well pumping in the different phases of the life cycle.

An interdisciplinary framework for using archaeology, history and collective action to enhance India’s agricultural resilience and sustainability

South Asia has a deep history of agriculture that includes a range of past farming systems in different climatic zones. Many of these farming systems were resilient to changes in climate and sustainable over long periods of time. India’s present agricultural systems are facing serious challenges, as they have become increasingly reliant on the unsustainable extraction of groundwater for irrigation. This paper outlines an interdisciplinary framework for drawing on patterns from the past to guide interventions in the present. It compares past and present strategies for water management and use in semi-arid and temperate Punjab with equatorial Telangana. Structural differences in water use in these two regions suggest that a range of interventions should be adopted to expand the overall availability of surface water for agricultural systems in India, in combination with empowering local communities to create their own water management rules. Active interventions focus on the efficient use of water supplies, and increasing surface water availability through renovation of collective ponds and reservoirs. We argue that this conceptual framework has significant potential for guiding agronomic and economic interventions in the future.

Design of drains for available surface water and assessment of groundwater for a Chak of IGKV Farm, Raipur

With the advancement of drilling technology along with assured availability of electricity ground water extraction for irrigation started increasing. The current study carried out at research farm of Raipur campus of Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh facing the same problem. Study is performed with the aim to increase the utilisation of available surface water in the study area carried by diversion canal from one diversion structure (called Bharri dam) constructed on the rivulet in the study area (called Chhokranala). Actual carrying capacity of the diversion canal and other 6 drains in the study area was worked out on the basis of their existing dimensions and grades. Required discharge required to be carried out by the diversion canal and other six drains were also worked out on the basis of drainage coefficient. Based on the comparison of required discharge capacity with actual discharge capacity revised dimensions were proposed to drain out the study command quickly during the heavy rainfall. Total annual ground water recharge from the study area was assessed as 4,01,880 m³, which is sum of ground water recharges through infiltration, return flow due to surface irrigation by diversion canal, return flow due to bore well irrigation and recharge from tank/ponds (67,500 m³, 1,41,800 m³, 1,86,400 m³ and 6,180 m³ respectively).

Potential Implications of Groundwater Trading and Reformed Water Rights in Diamond Valley, Nevada

AbstractThis paper presents an ex ante analysis of a novel groundwater management reform being considered by irrigators in the Diamond Valley, Nevada. Groundwater extraction for irrigation in the v...

Contribution of Rainwater to the Irrigation Requirement for Paddy Cultivation at Tanore Upazila in Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Groundwater extraction for irrigation in Bangladesh has caused groundwater depletion, especially in the Northern region. As such, shifting reliance from groundwater to surface water is one of the solutions to mitigate this problem. This study aims at investigating the contribution of effective rainfall to the total consumptive use requirement of rice cultivated in Tanore, Rajshahi, in Bangladesh. The prospect of rainwater harvesting using ponds and its contribution to the consumptive use requirement of rice was also determined. Effective rainfall, temperature, monthly percentage of bright sunshine hours, and consumptive use factor for rice data were collected from Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA). Blaney-Criddle method was used to calculate total consumptive use requirement of rice. Analysis results showed that from June to September, there is no requirement of irrigation due to high rainfall in this period. It was revealed that total consumptive use requirement of rice in Tanore averaged at 436 million m3 of water between the period of 2005 and 2012. Effective rainfall contributed to about 38% of the total consumptive use in this period. It was also found that another 5% of the total consumptive use requirement could be supplied by rainwater harvesting using the ponds of Tanore.

Water use conflict between wetland and agriculture

To analyze the water use conflict and its driving factors between wetland and agriculture at both regional and local scales, agricultural water consumption and wetland water storage changes in the Sanjiang Plain, the main grain-producing area in Heilongjiang Province of Amur River Basin, were investigated based on statistical data, field survey and GIS calculation. A specific case study in the Qixing River National Nature Reserve (QNNR) wetland-farmland system was completed using a water balance approach. Results showed that the proportion of agricultural water increased from 71.8% to 88.0% while that of ecological water only hovered around approximately 1% in Heilongjiang Province during 2004–2015. Due to wetland loss and degradation, the total surface water storage in the Sanjiang Plain wetlands decreased from 14.46 × 109 t in the 1980s to 4.70 × 109 t in 2010. Agricultural development in successive years, and the dramatic increased requirement for water in paddy fields, intensified the water use conflict between wetlands in the QNNR and surrounding farmlands. Groundwater extraction for irrigation was approximately twice as high as the total infiltration recharge from wetlands and farmlands. It is concluded that the degraded natural water resource endowments are struggle to sustainably support stable grain production as a mainstay of national food safety, which determined the competitive relationship between wetland and agriculture. To mitigate this conflict, adaptive wetland (e.g. water transfer at stagger time, precise water recharge, resourced meltwater) and agricultural techniques (e.g. water-saving irrigation and planting, soil water capacity increment, rainfed agriculture) and five key management solutions were recommended.

Dynamic Modelling of a Solar Water Pumping System with Energy Storage

This paper describes the dynamic modelling of a system used for extraction of groundwater for irrigation using an alternative source of energy. The system is designed based on data of an existing project in Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh. The system comprises a 38.4 kWp solar photovoltaic array, inverter, AC motor, and pump set, which can discharge a maximum of 1,930 m3 of water per day. MATLAB simulation is performed with two types of energy storage system: (i) electric energy using a battery bank and (ii) stored water in a large water tank. A large battery bank and a transformer are needed in the former one, which turns out as a costly solution. The latter one requires a boost converter and a large water tank to store around 2,000 m3 of water, which is also a costly solution. A combination of both systems yields an efficient and economical solution. The effectiveness of these three systems is compared with conventional diesel engine system.

An economic valuation of groundwater management for Agriculture in Luancheng county, North China

The North China Plain (NCP) is one of the most productive and intensively cultivated agricultural regions in China but it experiences severe water shortages; thus field irrigation relies heavily on groundwater. The extraction of groundwater for irrigation has sustained increased grain yield, although the value of the irrigation water has not been estimated. Here, we propose an evaluation model for underground water used for irrigation, which took into account the infrastructure price, resource price and environment price based on monetary values. We classified underground water into total extracted, actual consumption and over-exploited water according to the hydrological cycle. We then performed a benefit-cost analysis of three underground water irrigation scenarios—actual irrigation, equilibrium irrigation and maximum water productivity (WP) irrigation—using the proposed model and Luancheng County of NCP as a case study. The results showed that (1) the volume of irrigation water varied in the order of actual irrigation scenario>equilibrium irrigation scenario>maximum WP irrigation scenario. The amount of different components of water—extracted groundwater, actually consumed groundwater and over-exploited groundwater- varied similarly, although the yearly variations in extracted groundwater were smaller; (2) the total water price should include the infrastructure price, resource price and environment price, although farmers merely pay for the infrastructure price; the resource price constituted the largest proportion of the total water price, especially in the dry years; (3) equilibrium irrigation was the most suitable scenario based on net benefits by our valuation method of underground irrigation water.

A System Dynamics Model for Conjunctive Management of Water Resources in the Snake River Basin

AbstractThe Pacific Northwest is expected to witness changes in temperature and precipitation due to climate change. In this study, we enhance the Snake River Planning Model (SRPM) by modeling the feedback loop between incidental recharge and surface water supply resulting from surface water and groundwater extraction for irrigation and provide a case study involving climate change impacts and management scenarios. The new System Dynamics‐Snake River Planning Model (SD‐SRPM) is calibrated to flow at Box Canyon Springs located along a major outlet of the East Snake Plain Aquifer. A calibration of the model to flow at Box Canyon Springs, based on historic diversions (1950‐1995) resulted in an r2 value of 0.74 and a validation (1996‐2005) r2 value of 0.60. After adding irrigation entities to the model an r2 value of 0.91, 0.88, and 0.87 were maintained for modeled vs. observed (1991‐2005) end‐of‐month reservoir content in Jackson Lake, Palisades, and American Falls, the three largest irrigation reservoirs in the system. The scenarios that compared the impacts of climate change were based on ensemble mean precipitation change scenarios and estimated changes to crop evapotranspiration (ET). Increased ET, despite increased precipitation, generally increased surface water shortages and discharge of springs. This study highlights the need to develop and implement models that integrate the human‐natural system to understand the impacts of climate change.

Numerically modelling groundwater in an arid area with ANN‐generated dynamic boundary conditions

AbstractGroundwater is sensitive to the climate change and agricultural activities in arid and semi‐arid areas. Over the past several decades, human activities, such as groundwater extraction for irrigation, have resulted in aquifer overdraft and disrupted the natural equilibrium in these areas. Regional groundwater simulation is important to determine appropriate groundwater management policies, and numerical simulation has become the most popular method. However, most groundwater models were developed with static boundary conditions. In this research, the Minqin oasis, an arid region located in northwest China, was selected as the study area. An artificial neural network (ANN) was developed to simulate effects of weather conditions, agricultural activities and surface water on groundwater level in a dynamic boundary of the domain. Subsequently, a groundwater numerical model, named ANN‐FEFLOW model, was developed, with a dynamic boundary condition defined by the ANN model. The verifying results showed that the model has higher precision, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0·71 m, relative error (RE) of 17·96% and R2 of 0·84 relative to the great groundwater change. Furthermore, the groundwater model has higher precision than the conventional groundwater model with static boundary condition, particularly in the area near the dynamic boundary. This study demonstrated that dynamic boundaries can improve the precision of the regional groundwater model in an arid area and that ANN can provide higher accuracy prediction capability for groundwater levels with dynamic boundary. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Groundwater-induced vertical movements in Tsukuba revisited: installation of a new GPS station

A new continuous GPS station, 06S061, was installed in Tsukuba, Japan, which is directly anchored to the soil at a depth of 190 m, so that it is less affected by seasonal poroelastic deformations of aquifers induced by groundwater extraction for irrigation. A comparison of GPS-derived vertical movements of surrounding GPS stations relative to 06S061 with the independent observations revealed that 06S061 has an observation quality comparable to a standard GPS station in terms of coordinate repeatability. The poroelastic deformations of aquifers below 190 m recorded at 06S061 were estimated to have peak-to-peak values of about 1 cm, which is half of the total poroelastic deformations of aquifers observed at surrounding GPS stations.

Groundwater simulation using a numerical model under different water resources management scenarios in an arid region of China

Groundwater plays an important role in the economic development and ecological balance of the arid area of northwest China. Unfortunately, human activity, for example groundwater extraction for irrigation, have resulted in excessive falls in groundwater level, and aquifer overdraft in the oasis, disrupting the natural equilibrium of these systems. A groundwater numerical model for Minqin oasis, an arid area of northwest China, was developed using FEFLOW software to simulate regional groundwater changes under transient conditions. The vertical recharge and discharge (source/sink terms) of the groundwater models were determined from land-use data and irrigation systems for the different crops in the different sub-areas. The calibrated model was used to predict the change for the period from 2000 to 2020 under various water resources management scenarios. Simulated results showed that under current water resources management conditions groundwater levels at Minqin oasis are in a continuous drawdown trend and groundwater depth will be more than 30 m by 2020. Reducing the irrigation area is more effective than water-saving irrigation to reduce groundwater decline at Minqin oasis and the annual groundwater budget would be −0.978 × 108 m3. In addition, water-diversion projects can also reduce the drawdown trend of groundwater at Minqin oasis, and the groundwater budget in the Huqu sub-area would be in zero equilibrium if the annual inflow into the oasis was enhanced to 2.51 × 108 m3. Furthermore, integrative water resources management including water-diversion projects, water-saving irrigation, and reducing the irrigation area are the most effective measures for solving groundwater problems at Minqin oasis.

Neural Networks to Simulate Regional Ground Water Levels Affected by Human Activities

In arid regions, human activities like agriculture and industry often require large ground water extractions. Under these circumstances, appropriate ground water management policies are essential for preventing aquifer overdraft, and thereby protecting critical ecologic and economic objectives. Identification of such policies requires accurate simulation capability of the ground water system in response to hydrological, meteorological, and human factors. In this research, artificial neural networks (ANNs) were developed and applied to investigate the effects of these factors on ground water levels in the Minqin oasis, located in the lower reach of Shiyang River Basin, in Northwest China. Using data spanning 1980 through 1997, two ANNs were developed to model and simulate dynamic ground water levels for the two subregions of Xinhe and Xiqu. The ANN models achieved high predictive accuracy, validating to 0.37 m or less mean absolute error. Sensitivity analyses were conducted with the models demonstrating that agricultural ground water extraction for irrigation is the predominant factor responsible for declining ground water levels exacerbated by a reduction in regional surface water inflows. ANN simulations indicate that it is necessary to reduce the size of the irrigation area to mitigate ground water level declines in the oasis. Unlike previous research, this study demonstrates that ANN modeling can capture important temporally and spatially distributed human factors like agricultural practices and water extraction patterns on a regional basin (or subbasin) scale, providing both high-accuracy prediction capability and enhanced understanding of the critical factors influencing regional ground water conditions.

Optimal extraction of groundwater for irrigation: synergies from surface water bodies in tropical India

The synergistic effects of canals and tanks in groundwater recharge that contribute to an economically sustainable path of groundwater extraction are examined. Thirty farmers each with groundwater wells located in canal command (GWCI), in tank command (GWTI) and in solely well-irrigated areas (devoid of surface water bodies) (GWSI) are studied in Tumkur district of Karnataka. Applying Pontryagin's maximum principle to find the economically sustainable path of groundwater extraction, results indicated that by following the optimal path, the life of groundwater wells will increase by an additional 8, 17 and 24 years, respectively in GWSI, GWTI and GWCI areas over myopic (or uncontrolled) extraction. The additional net present value of benefit realized is US$822, US$1,907 and US$3,636 by optimal extraction in the three well areas. GWCI farmers realized the highest net returns (US$255) per hectare of gross groundwater irrigated area followed by GWTI (US$227.5) and GWSI (US$162.5). In GWTI (GWCI) amortized cost per cubic metre of groundwater was lower by 33% (53%) compared with GWSI, which reflects positive externality owing to the synergistic role of canals and tanks in groundwater recharge.

Gender, Class, and Access to Water: Three Cases in a Poor and Crowded Delta

Water plays a pivotal role in economic activity and in human well-being. Because of the prominence of water in production (primarily for irrigation) and in domestic use (drinking, washing, cooking), conflict over water and the effects of gender-influenced decisions about water may have far-reaching consequences on human well-being, economic growth, and social change. At the same time, social conflicts and social change are shaped and mediated, often in unexpected ways, by the natural conditions in which water occurs. The social relations of water are poorly understood. This article introduces a framework for disaggregating conditions of access to water and uses it to examine three pressing questions in Bangladesh. First, extraction of groundwater for irrigation has made many drinking-water hand pumps run dry. Second, increasing use of groundwater for drinking has been associated with the poisoning of at least 20 million people through naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater. Third, the article examines some of the ways access to water has been changed by the rise of shrimp aquaculture for export. This article highlights new directions for the analysis of interactions among water, class, and gender. The existing literature has tended to focus on the implications of gender analysis for government policy, especially development projects and water resources management, and for women's organization. In this article we begin to sketch some questions that arise from a concern to understand the broader context of social change.

Arsenic toxicity of groundwater in parts of the Bengal basin in India and Bangladesh: the role of Quaternary stratigraphy and Holocene sea-level fluctuation

Arsenic toxicity in groundwater in the Ganges delta and some low-lying areas in the Bengal basin is confined to middle Holocene sediments. Dissected terraces and highlands of Pleistocene and early Holocene deposits are free of such problems. Arsenic-rich pyrite or other arsenic minerals are rare or absent in the affected sediments. Arsenic appears to occur adsorbed on iron hydroxide-coated sand grains and clay minerals and is transported in soluble form and co-precipitated with, or is scavenged by, Fe(III) and Mn(IV) in the sediments. It became preferentially entrapped in fine-grained and organic-rich sediments during mid-Holocene sea-level rises in deltaic and some low-lying areas of the Bengal basin. It was liberated subsequently under reducing conditions and mediated further by microbial action. Intensive extraction of groundwater for irrigation and application of phosphate fertilizer possibly triggered the recent release of arsenic to groundwater. This practice has induced groundwater flow, mobilizing phosphate derived from fertilizer, as well as from decayed organic matter, which has promoted the growth of sediment biota and aided the further release of arsenic. However, the environment is not sufficiently reducing to mobilize iron and arsenic in groundwater in the Ganges floodplains upstream of Rajmahal. Thus, arsenic toxicity in the groundwater of the Bengal basin is caused by its natural setting, but also appears to be triggered by recent anthropogenic activities.