Your search found 6 records
1 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Muthuwatta, Lal; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Pavelic, Paul; Lagudu, S. 2018. Modeling the potential for floodwater recharge to offset groundwater depletion: a case study from the Ramganga basin, India. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 4(2):331-344. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0168-6]
Flooding ; Flood irrigation ; Models ; Groundwater depletion ; Water demand ; Water availability ; Water storage ; Water resources ; Water levels ; River basins ; Wet season ; Dry season ; Surface water ; Aquifers ; Hydrological factors ; Soil water ; Calibration ; Case studies / India / Ramganga Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048331)
The Ganges basin faces considerable spatial and temporal imbalance between water demand and availability. Lack of water storage infrastructure has led to this mismatch, wherein there are limited options to store flood water during the wet season and limited groundwater and surface water resources during the dry season. In this current study, a semi-coupled hydrological modeling framework is used to test scenarios that can help bridge this imbalance. A hydrological model (SWAT), groundwater model (MODFLOW) and flood inundation model (HEC-RAS) were applied to the Ramganga basin in India (*19,000 km2) to understand the baseline hydrologic regime and to test scenarios with distributed managed aquifer recharge (MAR) interventions, which when applied to at the basin scale to co-address flooding and groundwater depletion has come to be known as Underground Taming of Floods for Irrigation. The scenarios with MAR, which used available basin runoff to recharge groundwater, yielded favorable results in flood reduction and groundwater level improvement throughout the sub-basin. Groundwater levels improved within 5 years of introducing MAR, resulting in a groundwater elevation increase of up to 7 mwhen compared to baseline conditions. The HEC-RAS model indicated that a 20% reduction in basin outflow converted a 15-year flood peak to an 8-year flood peak, a 5-year peak to 3 years and a 2-year peak to 1 year. In addition, this resulted in a 10% reduction in the inundated area in all return periods tested. Therefore, distributed MAR practices can be effective in reducing the negative impacts from larger return period floods and increasing the groundwater levels.
2 Alam, Mohammad Faiz; Pavelic, Paul; Sikka, Alok; Sharma, Navneet. 2019. Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI): global to field scale assessments. [Abstract only]. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge (ISMAR 10) on Managed Aquifer Recharge: Local Solutions to the Global Water Crisis, Madrid, Spain, 20-24 May 2019. pp.440-442.
Flood irrigation ; Drought ; Groundwater recharge ; Aquifers ; Water storage ; Assessment ; River basins ; Economic analysis / Ethiopia / India / Thailand / Awash Basin / Ramganga Basin / Chao Phraya Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049474)
https://www.ismar10.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ISMAR10-procs-book_EF.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049474.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049474.pdf
(0.07 MB) (37.0 MB)
3 Reddy, V. R.; Rout, S. K.; Shalsi, Sarah; Pavelic, Paul; Ross, A. 2020. Managing underground transfer of floods for irrigation: a case study from the Ramganga Basin, India. Journal of Hydrology, 583:124518. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.124518]
Flood irrigation ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater recharge ; Aquifers ; River basins ; Drought ; Water institutions ; Corporate culture ; Capacity building ; Cost benefit analysis ; Sustainability ; Monitoring and evaluation ; Villages ; Communities ; Households ; Socioeconomic environment ; Case studies / India / Uttar Pradesh / Rampur / Ganges Basin / Ramganga Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049537)
(3.91 MB)
Protecting flood prone locations through floodwater recharge of the depleted aquifers and using it for protecting dry season irrigated agriculture is the rationale for a form of intervention termed as ‘underground transfer of floods for irrigation’ (UTFI). This helps reduce the intensity of seasonal floods by tapping and storing excess floodwater in aquifers for productive agricultural use. This paper presents a case study of managing the recharge interventions in the context of the Ramganga basin, India. Using a case study approach, this study determines the socio-economic and institutional context of the study area, proposes three potential routes to institutionalize UTFI, and provides insights for scaling up the interventions in the Ganges and other river basins that face seasonal floods and dry season water shortages.
Managing the interventions involves community participation in regular operations and maintenance tasks. Given the limited scale of the pilot UTFI intervention implemented to date, and the socio-economic and institutional context of the case study region, the benefits are not conspicuous, though the piloting helped in identifying potential ways forward for the long-term management of the pilot site, and for scaling up the interventions. Initially pilot site management was handled by the project team working closely with the community leaders and villagers. As the intervention was demonstrated to perform effectively, management was handed over to the district authorities after providing appropriate training to the government personnel to manage the system and liaise with the local community to ensure the site is operated and managed appropriately. The district administration is willing to support UTFI by pooling money from different sources and routing them through the sub-district administration. While this is working in the short term, the paper outlines a programmatic longer term approach for wider replication.
Managing the interventions involves community participation in regular operations and maintenance tasks. Given the limited scale of the pilot UTFI intervention implemented to date, and the socio-economic and institutional context of the case study region, the benefits are not conspicuous, though the piloting helped in identifying potential ways forward for the long-term management of the pilot site, and for scaling up the interventions. Initially pilot site management was handled by the project team working closely with the community leaders and villagers. As the intervention was demonstrated to perform effectively, management was handed over to the district authorities after providing appropriate training to the government personnel to manage the system and liaise with the local community to ensure the site is operated and managed appropriately. The district administration is willing to support UTFI by pooling money from different sources and routing them through the sub-district administration. While this is working in the short term, the paper outlines a programmatic longer term approach for wider replication.
4 Alam, Mohammad Faiz; Pavelic, Paul; Sharma, Navneet; Sikka, Alok. 2020. Managed aquifer recharge of monsoon runoff using village ponds: performance assessment of a pilot trial in the Ramganga Basin, India. Water, 12(4):1028. (Special issue: Managed Aquifer Recharge for Water Resilience) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w12041028]
Groundwater recharge ; Aquifers ; Pilot projects ; Performance evaluation ; Monsoon climate ; Runoff ; Flood irrigation ; Drought ; Groundwater table ; Water storage ; Groundwater depletion ; Villages ; Ponds ; Infiltration ; Wells ; Maintenance ; Canals ; Rain / India / Indo-Gangetic Plain / Uttar Pradesh / Ramganga Basin / Jiwai Jadid
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049656)
(1.78 MB) (1.78 MB)
The managed aquifer recharge (MAR) of excess monsoonal runoff to mitigate downstream flooding and enhance groundwater storage has received limited attention across the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Indian subcontinent. Here, we assess the performance of a pilot MAR trial carried out in the Ramganga basin in India. The pilot consisted of a battery of 10 recharge wells, each 24 to 30 m deep, installed in a formerly unused village pond situated adjacent to an irrigation canal that provided river water during the monsoon season. Over three years of pilot testing, volumes ranging from 26,000 to 62,000 m3 were recharged each year over durations ranging from 62 to 85 days. These volumes are equivalent to 1.3–3.6% of the total recharge in the village, and would be sufficient to irrigate 8 to 18 hectares of rabi season crop. High inter-year variation in performance was observed, with yearly average recharge rates ranging from 430 to 775 m3 day-1 (164–295 mm day-1 ) and overall average recharge rates of 580 m3 day-1 (221 mm day-1 ). High intra-year variation was also observed, with recharge rates at the end of recharge period reducing by 72%, 88% and 96% in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively, relative to the initial recharge rates. The observed inter- and intra-year variability is due to the groundwater levels that strongly influence gravity recharge heads and lateral groundwater flows, as well as the source water quality, which leads to clogging. The increase in groundwater levels in response to MAR was found to be limited due to the high specific yield and transmissivity of the alluvial aquifer, and, in all but one year, was difficult to distinguish from the overall groundwater level rise due to a range of confounding factors. The results from this study provide the first systematic, multi-year assessment of the performance of pilot-scale MAR harnessing village ponds in the intensively groundwater irrigated, flood prone, alluvial aquifers of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
5 Alam, Mohammad Faiz; Pavelic, Paul. 2020. Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI): exploring potential at the global scale. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 58p. (IWMI Research Report 176) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2020.204]
Flood irrigation ; River basins ; Groundwater recharge ; Aquifers ; Water storage ; Water supply ; Water demand ; Drought ; Economic analysis ; Cost benefit analysis ; Benefit-cost ratio ; Flood control ; Disaster risk reduction ; Mitigation ; Ecosystem services ; Watershed management ; Water resources ; Water management ; Surface water ; Water availability ; Climate change ; Water security ; Food security ; Policies ; Stakeholders ; Groundwater irrigation ; Infrastructure ; Wells ; Pumps ; Crop production ; Land use ; Rain ; Monsoon climate ; Socioeconomic environment ; Urban areas ; Rural areas ; Models / South Asia / South East Asia / Central Asia / South America / North America / Central America / Europe / Africa South of Sahara / North Africa / India / Ethiopia / Thailand / Uttar Pradesh / Awash Basin / Ramganga Basin / Chao Phraya Basin / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H050008)
(6.21 MB)
This report presents a spatial analysis conducted at global scale to identify areas of high suitability for implementing the Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI) approach. The study used multiple global spatial datasets, and the related data were arranged under three categories – water supply, water demand and water storage – to assess global UTFI suitability. Among the river basins with high suitability, the Awash in Ethiopia, Ramganga in India (one of the major tributaries of the Ganges River Basin) and Chao Phraya in Thailand were selected for the economic analysis in this study. The results from this study are intended to provide a first step towards identifying the broad areas (at the river basin or country scale) where more detailed investigation would be worthwhile to ascertain the technical and economic feasibility of UTFI, with greater confidence.
6 Pavelic, Paul; Sikka, Alok; Alam, Mohammad Faiz; Sharma, Bharat R.; Muthuwatta, Lal; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Villholth, Karen G.; Shalsi, S.; Mishra, V. K.; Jha, S. K.; Verma, C. L.; Sharma, N.; Reddy, V. R.; Rout, S. K.; Kant, L.; Govindan, M.; Gangopadhyay, P.; Brindha, K.; Chinnasamy, P.; Smakhtin, V. 2021. Utilizing floodwaters for recharging depleted aquifers and sustaining irrigation: lessons from multi-scale assessments in the Ganges River Basin, India. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 20p. (Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP) Case Profile Series 04) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2021.200]
Groundwater management ; Groundwater recharge ; Aquifers ; Floodwater ; Water use ; Groundwater depletion ; Groundwater irrigation ; Sustainable use ; Groundwater flow ; Transfer of waters ; Flood control ; Groundwater table ; Water storage ; Water quality ; Pumping ; Technology ; Pilot projects ; Assessment ; Risk management ; Cost benefit analysis ; Stakeholders ; Community involvement ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Livelihoods ; Food security ; Irrigated farming ; Environmental impact ; River basins ; Ponds ; Wells ; Monsoons ; Rain ; Drought / India / Ganges River Basin / Ramganga Basin / Uttar Pradesh / Rampur / Jiwai Jadid
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H050171)
(3.67 MB)
Pragmatic, cost-effective, socially inclusive and scalable solutions that reduce risks from recurrent cycles of floods and droughts would greatly benefit emerging economies. One promising approach known as Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI) involves recharging depleted aquifers with seasonal high flows to provide additional groundwater for irrigated agriculture during dry periods, while also mitigating floods. It has been identified that there is potential for implementing the UTFI approach across large parts of South Asia. The first pilot-scale implementation of UTFI was carried out in a rural community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in India, and performance of the approach was assessed over three years from a technical, environmental, socioeconomic and institutional perspective. The results are promising and show that UTFI has the potential to enhance groundwater storage and control flooding, if replicated across larger scales. The challenges and opportunities for more wide-scale implementation of UTFI are identified and discussed in this report. In areas with high potential for implementation, policy makers should consider UTFI as an option when making decisions associated with relevant water-related development challenges.
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