CANALS (based on
discharge)
DEFINITION
• An artificial channel filled with water and designed for navigation or
for irrigation land etc
• An artificial watercourse or extensively modified natural channel used
for inland water transport and or the control and diversion of water
for drainage or irrigation
TYPES OF CANAL(based on use)
• There are two types
• Aqueducts: water supply canals that are used for the conveyance and delivery
of potable water for human consumption, municipal uses and agriculture
• Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats
shipping good and conveying people
TYPES OF CANAL (Based on lining being
provided or not)
• Unlined canals
• An unlined canal is the one which has its bed and banks madeup of natural
soil through which it is constructed and not provided with a lining of
impervious material
• Lined canal
• A lined canal is provided with a lining of impervious material on its bed and
banks to prevent the seepage of water
unlined
Lined
TYPES OF CANAL LINING
1) Stone-pitched lining;
2) Burnt clay tile or brick lining;
3) Burnt bricks or pulverized fuel ash-lime
4) Precast cement concrete/stone slab lining;
5)Cement concrete tile lining;
6) In situ cement/lime concrete lining;
7) Stone masonry lining;
8) Soil cement/soil cement and flyash lining;
9) Shotcrete lining;
10) Ferrocement lining; and
11) Asphaltic cement concrete lining
TYPES OF CANAL (based on discharge)
• MAIN CANAL
• BRANCH CANAL
• DISTRIBUTION CANAL
• MAJOR DISTRIBUTARY
• MINOR DISTRIBUTARY
• WATER COURSE OR FIELD CHANNEL
MAIN CANAL
• Main canal takes off directly from the upstream siode of weir head
works or dam
• Usually no direct cultivation is proposed
• Canals having discharge greater than 10 cumecs are called as main
canals.
• A main canal carries discharge directly from river.
• It carries large amount of water and cannot be used for direct
irrigation.
• Main canal supplies water to the branch canals.
Branch canal
Canals having discharge in the range of 5-10 cumecs are called
as branch canals.
1.These are the branches of main canal in either direction at
regular intervals.
2.Branch canals also do not carry out direct irrigation but
sometimes direct outlets are provided.
3.Branch canals are actually the feeders for major and minor
distributories.
• Distributory canal
• Canals having discharge 0.25-3 cumecs are called Distributory canal.
• They are further divided into two types:
• Major Distributory.
• Minor Distributory
Major distributory
• These take off water from branch canals. Sometimes they may get
supply from main canal but their discharge is less than branch canal.
These are irrigation channels because they supply water to the field
directly through outlets.
Minor distributories
• Canals in which discharge varies from 0.25-3 cumecs are called as
minor distributories.
•These take off from major distributory or sometimes may get
supply from branch canal.
•They also provided water to the courses through outlets
provided along with them.
•The discharge in major distributory is less than in the major
distributories
Field channels ( water courses )
• These are the small channels which ultimately feed water to the
irrigation fields.
• The discharge in water courses is less than 0.25 cumecs.
• Depending upon the extent of irrigation, a field channel may take off
from a major distributory or minor.
• Sometimes, it may even take off water from the branch canal for the
field situated very near to the branch canal.
Canal alignment
• The Layout which ensures economy, equitable, efficient distribution of
water to maximum command is the best alignment.
• The sill level of Irrigation sluice is fixed by the working tables of the
project.
• The falling contour is traced on the topo sheet and GCA for main
canal is broadly fixed . Tentative alignment is fixed on the ground in
the preliminary survey
• Topo-Sheets: These are maps published by Survey of India in scales
1:50000 and 1:250000. This gives topography of the area with
contours.
• Revenue Survey Maps: Published by Land and Resettlement
Department in scales 1”=660’ and 1”=330’ indicates survey nos of
revenue lands with details like cultivated,barren, forests,tankbeds etc
• The Survey will be done from apex to apex with the designed falling
contour for the bed slope.
• Simultaneously contour survey map of the command area (scale
1:10,000 for macro network planning and 1:2500 for micro network
planning)for including the allignment is to be prepared
• Strip Contour surveys at 1m interval for major canals and 0.5m
interval for minor canals up to twice the top width of canal on either
side of centre line shall be carried out.
• The alignment is generally taken in contour cutting. Alternative
alignment shall be considered on grounds of economy, hydraulics and
field conditions
• The alignment should run as far as possible along the FSL contour
avoiding higher embankments and deep cuts.
• Discharge cut off statements are to be prepared reach wise (design
purpose) or distributaries' wise (operational purpose)
• Canal section changes if there is reduction of canal discharge by
10% to 20%.
• Cross regulators /drops are to be proposed at change of section or
change of bed fall or at maximum interval of 40 km to take care of
breaching of embankment sections
• Sluices at the head of the large distributors are to be capable of
passing full supply into the distributary with three fourth discharges at
head to half supply in the tail end i.e, when the parent canal discharge
is about 20%.
• Canal drops are needed when the slope of the ridge is steeper than
the canal bed slope
Advantages of Canal Irrigation:
• 1. Un-irrigated wastelands can be developed by canal irrigation, which
would increase the quantity of biomass in the area.
• 2. Economic development can be expedited by avoiding dangerous
droughts. Dependence on rainfall can be minimized through canal
development.
• 3. Canals are fed by rain water received by rivers, and the water is
used for irrigation. Production of crops needing more water is also
possible through canals. As compared to un-irrigated soils, higher
productivity per hectare is also possible due to canals.
4. Canal system is a permanent structure, hence only maintenance is required for getting its
benefits for a long time.
5. Canals are multi-purpose where apart from irrigation hydro electricity generation,
navigation, drinking water supply and fishery development is also done.
6. Groundwater level does not go down on account of canal irrigation, but on the contrary
water level increases, which facilitates digging of wells.
7. Canals are also becoming a source of tourist attraction these days
Disadvantages of Canal Irrigation:
1. Due to imbalance in distribution of canal water, a situation of scarcity somewhere
and water logging in other areas is caused due to collection of water there. It makes
the soil unproductive as harmful underground salts and alkalies come to the surface
level due to water logging. Land can also become marshy there.
2. Many diseases are caused due to spread of mosquitoes, worms and insects on
account of stationary water in canals.
3. Sometimes efficient canal management results in excessive production of crops, due
to which the farmers are not able to get suitable price for their product in the market.
4. Due to shortage of water in inundational canals, crops are destroyed
for want of water for irrigation.
5. Regular maintenance of canals is not done, due to which sediments
are collected resulting in reduction of capacity of canals.
6. Due to excessive economic investment, it is not practicable to
provide canal irrigation to all areas. Construction of canals also takes
more time.
7. Many types of social evils are generated in canal areas. Sometimes,
disputes arise for water distribution etc. resulting in murders and
throwing of dead bodies by the bank of a canal.
