ALIGNMENT OF WATER COURSES

• Though the responsibility of maintenance of the water courses is that of farmers, still in new irrigation works.
• The alignment, of the water courses is fixed by the government.
• This work is being done these days by canal area development (C.A.D.) department or collonisation department.
• Following points should however be considered while fixing the alignment of water courses.
• Separate water courses should be provided for high lands and low lands of the same village.
• They should not cross through field but should be laid along the boundries of the fields.
• Sufficient water should be available to fields lying at the farthest point from the outlet.
• The water courses should be aligned along the ridges of the area of the village.
• If low lying area is near the outlet and high land is at the further end of the village.
• The water course which has to carry water for high lands should be made in heavy embankments.
• Such water courses should preferably be lined.
• In order to ensure equitable distribution of water to all the fields.
• The watercourse levels for each square of land, should be fixed and made permanent.
• If this is not done, the farmer whose land is low dig the watercourses deep, and when a farmer whose land is high takes water from the same deep watercourse.
• Has to fill the water curse by the water from his own time of watering, because otherwise, water will not rise to higher fields.
• This causes less availability of water to high fields. Again if the turn of, watering of a farmer whose land is low, he gets water course full for water and this causes advantage to him.
• To curb this injustice, it is very very important to fix the watercourse levels for each square and these levels should be made pucca.
• This will make irrigation water available to all the fields at desired levels.
• Deep excavation of watercourses will not give any advantage to the farmers whose land is low.