Restoration of existing Major Irrigation Project -
Modernisation of Augasi Pump Canal
Augasi pump canal was commissioned on the right bank of river Yamuna in Banda district of UP in the year 1981-82. It was designed to carry 150 cusec of water with the help of 3 pumps of 50 cusec capacity each in two stages. The pumps were required to operate under a head of 30 m and 17 m in Stage I and stage II respectively. The pumps were installed on floating barge with 33 kv dedicated feeder in Stage I and in a pucca pump house in Stage II. All the pumps and motors installed at both the stages have run more than 20,000 hours and are more than 20 years. The machines have outlived their useful life. The discharge of pumps have gone down greatly. The existing 33 kv line is not supplying uninterrupted power to the pump and motors. Difficulty is encountered while operating such big capacity pumps in barge at Stage I without a pump house. There has been reduction in the capacity of canal and distribution system by siltation, erosion of embankment etc. also. As a cumulative effect of all these problem, the gross irrigated area has come down to 2,000 ha from 12692 ha.
Projects
The project envisages modernising the pump canal by adopting the following measures :
(i) Constructing a pucca pump house at Stage I. (ii) Changing all the worn out pumps and motors (7 nos : 4 in Stage I (1 standby) and 3 in Stage II). (iii) Drawing power from a dedicated 133 kv line from a distance of 60 km to the Stage I pumping station. (iv) Resectioning the canal and distributaries as per requirement and (v) Stabilising canal structures such as VRB, Falls, FBs etc.
Unique features of the Project : Three major difficulties were responsible for lower discharge in the canal. They are
i) All the pumps and motors of such high capacity are being operated from floating barge which is operationally very difficult.
ii) The power supply from 33 kv line is often not available and voltage fluctuation is very high.
iii) The pumps and motors are worn out and have outlived their useful life.
Therefore, the important aspect of the project is to remedy the above difficulties by investing a small amount towards construction of pucca pump house, reinstallation of new pumps and motors and getting power supply from dedicated 133 kv line from a distance of 60 km to the proposed pump house. By adopting these measures, the existing canal and its distribution system can be efficiently restored and reutilised for irrigating the designed gross area of 12692 ha.
Expected Benefit : The project is estimated to cost Rs. 20.73 crores.
The project is likely to restore irrigation facility to 12692 hectare of land and will generate an annual incremental income of Rs. 5.10 crore.
Conclusion
A great amount of unused potential can be revived and restored with a small per hectare cost which works out to Rs.16300.00 in this case. The current investment will restore irrigation facilities to an additional area of 10692 hectares at a total cost of Rs. 20.73 crores.
Suggestions
The efficiency and usefulness of irrigation system can be improved by Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) with the help of interalia, Water Users Association. We support this activity with an assistance upto 0.5% of the project cost.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
