Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of the most crucial properties of the earth's system. At present, the LULC are
severely being affected due to depletion of much needed water.
Since time immemorial, farmers in dry areas harvested surface water for
irrigation. Water harvesting is here defined as the collection of surface runoff mainly
for agricultural and domestic purposes. Present days watershed approach has been
adopted to collect water from precipitation. It is a resource region where the
eco-system is closely interconnected with basic resource water. A watershed or river
basin is considered as an ideal water management unit (Prinz
1995
,
1996
) but
present surface water harvesting study is made through administrative approach.
Mainly for agriculture purpose, surface water resource (pond, lake, canal, river) is
very essential. Present study area (Ausgram block) is basically a good agriculture
region in Burdwan district but due to water stressed problem cultivation is not suc-
cessful every year. In Ausgram block, surface water bodies are present but water is
not available many months in a year. Due to this problem farmers are not able to
cultivate the crops more than one in a year, because of water stress. This region land-
form or physical landscape is the main controlling factor of surface water resource,
because of undulating surface topography. This regional surface water harvesting is
needed mainly for agriculture purpose. Present surface water harvesting study is
made through the geomorphic resources i.e., Ruggedness Index (RI), Relative Relief
(RR), Drainage Density (DD), Slope and Frequency of Surface Water Bodies
(FSWB). These analyses have been done from Survey of India topographical maps
and satellite imagery 1 km
2
grid-wise using GIS techniques. For delineating the sur-
face water potential zones, Geographical Information System (GIS) has been found
to be an effective tool. In recent years, use of satellite remote sensing data along with
GIS, topographical maps, collateral information and limited field checks have made
it easier to establish the base line information on surface water prospective zones.
The world's usable freshwater supply is being depleted because of increasing
water use associated with population growth, industrial and agricultural usage.
Agriculture is the largest consumer of water, constituting an average 80 % of water
consumption in developing countries (Gately
1995
). Rice is one of the major grain
crops that is grown primarily as a human food source. More efficient use of water in
rice production is critical in view of projected increase in rice production needed to
meet a growing world population (65 % increase during 1992-2020) (International
Rice Research Institute [IRRI]
1993
). Approximately 50 % of the freshwater used
in Asian agriculture is used for rice production (IRRI
2002
).
West Bengal is endowed with 7.5 % of the water resource of the country and that
is becoming increasingly scarce with the uncontrolled growth of population, expan-
sion of irrigation network and developmental needs (Rudra
2012
). The Bengal Delta,
which was described as areas of excess water in the colonial document, now suffers
from acute dearth of water during lean months. The spatial and temporal variability
of rain within the state causes the twin menaces of flood and drought. Both the flood
and drought isopleths are expanding with time in spite of ever-increasing investment
in water management. The navigation even in the southern tidal regime has become
an extremely difficult task for the country boats that require minimum draft (Rudra
2012
). Burdwan district generally have lots of surface water body. It is the main
source of agriculture specifically for paddy cultivation but some parts of Burdwan
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