GOVERNMENT OF ODISHA

DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

INDUCTION TRAINING
PROGRAMME

MODULE-IV (INVESTIGATION)

COURSE CODE: INV-IV

Command Area Survey.

Finalization of L.S & D.S

CHIEF ENGINEER,
PPF & INV.
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ODISHA, BHUBANESWAR.

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 Command Area Survey

Some technical terms as regards to water application are as

follows:

1. Gross-Command Area (G.C.A):

The total area including roads, villages etc. which can be
economically irrigated from the project is called gross-
command area. In other words, it is the total area over which
water of irrigation canals can flow under gravity. As a matter
of fact, depending upon the available source, only a part of
the area can be irrigated.
2. Culturable Command Area(C.C.A):

That area over which cultivation is possible within project

G.C.A., is known as culturable commanded area. It is obtained
by deducting uncultured area like ponds, barren land, forest,
village etc., from the G.C.A.

3. Un-command Area:
In the culturable command area, there may be some high
level culturable areas, where the irrigation water cannot flow
under gravitational force from the canal. Such field areas are
declared un-command areas and no water is allotted to
them. Such areas may be irrigated by tube-wells or other
methods of irrigation.
4. Culturable Cultivated Area:
The area which is used for growing crops in the particular
season.
5. Culturable Uncultivated Area:

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 The area where irrigation is possible, but crops are not grown
in a particular season. The area left for the crops of next
season is known as culturable uncultivated area.

How Command Area Survey is conducted

Command area survey can be carried out on the village

maps. Approximate command area (ayacut area) can be
calculated from the topo sheet and number of villages to be
involved in the command area. Contour survey can be carried out
from spot level basis or grid plan method. Spot levels are taken on
each plot of the village and smooth curves(contour) of 1.00mtr
interval are drawn along the points of equal levels.

Spot levels are taken on the corner points of the square grid
without referring to the plots of the village, which known as grid
plan method of contouring. After drawing the contour lines the
obligatory areas like hills, forest, human settlement, ponds,
schools, roads, are deleted and the net area is termed as
culturable command area(CCA). A contour map is attached for
reference.

Alignment Of Main Canal/Ridge Line/Valley Line/Chak

Boundary/Distribution System

Main Canal:

This is the canal which is directly taken off from a river or

reservoir. It is usually of large size and no direct irrigation is done
from it to the fields except under special circumstances. It
functions as a carrier of feed canal to branch and other canals.

Branch Canals:
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As the command area of big canals is very large, it is not possible
to supply water from one canal. For supplying the water to the
total area the main canal is bifurcated into two or more canals,
which are known as branch canals. Each branch canal is
responsible to irrigate a particular area. The branch canals also do
not supply water direct to the fields, but serve as a feeder of the
distributaries. But in special circumstances outlets for irrigation
purposes can be provided on high spots, which cannot be
irrigated from the distributaries.

Distributaries:

These are channels which carry small discharge of 0.5 to 7.0

Cumecs. They draw their quantity of water from the branch
canals. Most of the irrigation is done by distributaries, as they
carry water to various places of the command area.

Minors:

Sometimes these are also known as minor distributaries. They

draw their water from the distributaries. As most area along the
distributaries and branches is high and cannot be irrigated,
therefore at such places a minor is run more or less parallel along
the branch canal to irrigate these fields. Outlets are provided in
the minors at various points for irrigation purpose. Minors carry
discharge from 0.25 to 0.50 Cumec. About 10-15 outlets are
provided in each minor.

Water Course:

These are also known as field channels and are constructed and
maintained by the farmers. These are small channels which draw

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water from the minors through their outlets and carry it direct to
the fields for irrigation purposes. They may be lined or unlined.
Now-a-days farmers are being stressed to make the water courses
lined to save the precious water from percolation loss. In special
cases they can also draw water from branches and distributaries.

Canal Alignment:

These canals are constructed nearly parallel to the contour lines

of the area. Usually main canals are constructed along the
contour lines for some length near the diversion head work.
Branch canals and distributaries are also constructed as far as
possible on the contour lines. The contours chosen for the
alignment should include all the contours of the area to be
irrigated. The contour canal irrigates the areas whose elevation is
lower than the elevation of the canal, because water flows under
gravity from it to the fields. If irrigation facilities are to be
provided for the higher areas, lift irrigation canals are provided.

Ridge Canal:

The canals constructed on the ridge or water shed line are known
as ridge canals. These canals are usually taken off from the
contour canal. As this canal can irrigate fields on its both the
sides, its command area is more. These canals also do not meet
with any cross drainage works, therefore their construction cost is
also low. While doing the construction of these canals if the ridge
takes sharp turn, the alignment of the canal should be made
straight as far as possible, because it reduces the length of the
canal and thereby construction cost. Most of the irrigation canals
are ridge canal.
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Side Slope Canal:

These canals are aligned approximately at right angles to the

contour canals along the slope between the ridges and the
valleys. Usually these are parallel to the natural drainage of the
area, therefore, no cross drainage works are required in them.
These canals have steep bed slope, therefore, lining is done in
them, otherwise heavy velocity will erode them.

A number of main canal alignment are decided upon the

area of the command and the location. If the command area are
located on both sides of the dam/barrage two main canals are
planed on both sides on the barrage /dam at suitable location.
Generally the off-taking point of the main canal is fixed at 1.50mtr
below the MWL in case of barrage. A main canal alignment runs a
contour line which decreases 1.00mtr in 5.00km distance till the
canal reaches a bigger Nalla or water body. The main canal fixes
the boundary of the command area. Distribution system of the
canal (distributary, minor, sub-minor) are decided to distribute the
water to the entire command area through its canal Network. The
distributory, minor and sub-minor generally follows ridge line of
the area in order to distribute water on both sides of the canal
through its outlets.

Chak Boundary

Introduction

The chak or outlet command is a basic unit for irrigation

management in the command of Minor, distributory or any other
parent channel. Therefore, establishing layouts of the chaks in the
command of a given channel is the first step of the planning
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process. For this purpose, the contour map of the command of
minor or distributory to the scale of 1:2000(1:4000 if command is
very big) with contour interval of 0.2 or 0.3 m should be adopted.

Layout of chaks:
Following factors are considered for finalizing chak
boundaries and total layout of chaks.
o Topography (Ridges, vallies, local depressions, high
patches, etc.)
o Maximum permissible area which can be irrigated in
peak rotation by prescribed discharge in a given flow
period.
o Maximum length of field channel.
o The number of farmers to be served.
o Other factor like village boundary, road/railway lines,
etc.
A map is attached showing the contour lines, canal
alignment with distribution system and chak boundary.

Preparation of LS & DS. of Canals

The command area (CCA) of a minor or sub-minor is

decided on the contour map drawn in suitable scale. The
corresponding to the CCA discharge required in Cumecs
@0.875lps / ha. is calculated with 10% excess for fixing the canal
parameter like Bed width , Depth of flow, Longitudinal slope of the
canal, mean velocity in mtr/sec after calculating the critical
velocity and CVR the Bed level of the canal is fixed with full
supply level. Continuing in the same process the other minors
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are /sub-minors are designed from the tail end of the canal
towards head of the canal and the final discharge is fixed at the
head regulator of the canal. The LS of the canals are drawn from
the head regulator of the canal to the tail end with fixation of FSD,
velocity in mtr/sec, WS slope, bed width, FS discharge, Bank
width, Free Board, Designed FSL, Designed Bed level, NSL and RD
in mtr.

L.S OF KRUSHNA CHANDRAPUR SUB-MINOR-1 FROM

CH: 00 TO 624.0 AND DESIGN STATEMENT OF PAUNSIA
DISTRIBUTORY OFFTAKING FROM RD 26260.0M OF
BETNOTI BRANCH CANAL ARE ATTACHED FOR REFERENCE

Book Reference:

1. Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulic Structures by Santosh

Kumar Garg.
2. Irrigation Engineering by G.S Birdie & Ramchandra Das.

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