Water Management in Horticultural Crops

Surface Flow

• The Irrigation Commission of India (1972) has placed the total annual surface runoff of the country at 180 mham. It includes 20 mham brought by stream and rivers from catchments lying out side the country. About 45 mham pertain to regenerated flow from ground water. The remaining 115 mham constitutes the direct contribution from precipitation of which 10 mham is from snowfall.
• Of the total surface water of 180 mham available in the country annually, about 15 mahm is stored in reservoirs and tanks. Evaporation from medium and major reservoirs is about 20 per cent and from tanks 40 per cent. Of the 165 mham that flows annually in the rivers, the utilization through diversion works and direct pumping aggregates to 15 mham. The remaining 150 mham goes to the sea and to adjoining countries. On full development the use of water through diversion works or direct pumping may be up to 45 mham, the rest 105 mham will continue to flow to the sea and outside the country.