BANDHARA IRRIGATION

It is a special type of irrigation practiced in some parts of Maharashtra.
It is essentially a minor irrigation scheme consisting of diversion weir walls across small streams.
Small canals taking-off from the U/S of the weirs and commanding small tracks of lands.
The bandhara irrigation scheme is very economical and by constructing a number of such structures in series across minor streams.
The irrigation facilities can be economically extended to large areas.

The irrigating capacity of each Bandhara may vary from few hectares.
To hundreds of hectares depending upon the availability of water.
Bandhara is a name given to small weir.
where a large irrigable area is not available at a stretch.
The small amount of water of such streams is use for irrigation of the small isolated tracks of irrigable land lying in the vicinity of the streams.

LOCATION OF BANDHARA

The stream should preferably be running throughout the year (perennial).
A good foundation for the weir should be available.
The section of the stream should be straight, narrow, and well defined.
H.F.L. at the site should be as low as possible.
The canal taking off from Bandhara should not cross any important natural drainage in that area.
The area under the command of the canal should be adequate.
The land available for irrigation should be adequate and furtile.

A weir and an off taking channel, both form one unit of the Bandhara irrigation scheme.
Several Bhandara units may be construct in series one after the other.
The surplus water spilling over one bandhara is utilize by the subsequent unit of Bandhara.
A head regulator is construct to control the entry of water into the off taking channel.
The irrigable area under Bandhara is know (Thal).
A thal may be divid into phads or small blocks.
One phad may contain several fields of a number of cultivators.
A particular phad will be having only one type of crop in a season.
Each phad having one type of crop only.