Chapter-II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter deals with brief review of literature related to
present work on farm pond. Farm ponds are constructed to supply water
for irrigation, livestock, fish production, head water flood control and for
home use and as means of rising ground water table.
Importance of farm pond
Howard Matson (1943) has studied the need of farm pond.
He stated that the farm pond is chief source of water supply for livestock,
irrigation, farmstead use and fish production. He also reported that pond
which is properly constructed, fertilizer, stocked and managed will
produce as much as 500 pounds of fish annually for each acre of surface
area, be also studied on planning of farm pond for storing water
considering seepage losses.
Sastry et al., (1980) has studied the farm ponds for assured
protective irrigation for rabi crops in down valley. The study conducted at
the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute,
Dehdradun indicated that the runoff water thus harvested can be
recycled with farms an integrated part of successful crop management
programme. They also reported that the limited water available in the
farm pond should be utilized at the earliest opportunity i.e. at presowing
stage covering large area for given depth of water for optimum yield. He
also observed that farm ponds serve dual purpose of storing water for
crop life saving irrigation and at the same time minimize the flood hazard
in the downstream.
Man and Ramrao (1981) reported that, the better rain water
utilization by harvesting and recycling increased that the efficiency of
available land and water resources. The potential productivity of treated

regions found to be two to three times, higher than what was attained by
the traditional system of production.
Gajri et al., (1982) worked on rain water harvesting and its
recycling for maximization of crop production. They reported that water
harvesting systems which consist of collecting and storing in suitable
reservoirs, the excess runoff from the catchment and its use as crop life
saving irrigation would help increase and stabilize yield in the dryland
areas.
Sastry et al., (1983) studied the farm ponds and their
influence on flood retardance.

The study indicated that considerable

retardance of volume and peaks can be achieved. They also concluded

that watershed treated with graded terraces generates low runoff in the
land as compared to untreated watershed.

Scope of improving the

performance of farm pond through a rational schedule of using available

water for crops such as paddy could be further explored.
Parameters in planning pond
Howard Matson (1943) suggested the following parameters
in planning of farm pond
a) Selection of site
b) Size and shape of watershed area.
c) Desirable ratio between watershed and storage capacity.
d) Propable minimum runoff
e) Expected minimum rate of runoff.
f) Types of outlets
g) Spillway or other outlet.
h) Loss of evaporation
Selection of the site for the pond
Carrekar (1945) suggested that the first consideration in the
farm pond construction is its location and a narrow depression between
two opposite slopes with a wide flat area. He also suggested that to
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prevent seepage from the pond a core wall should extend down under
each dam to impervious material free of roots and other organic matter.
Verma (1981) reported that, the location of the pond should
be necessary be at lowest point of catchment which is ideal location in
the water disposal system. Earthwork reserve water storage ratio should
be minimum site should be such as to have possibility of gravity
irrigation.
Capacity of pond
Isgur (1951) determined the capacity of dugout ponds. He
concluded that dugout pond can be built with bulldozers and have the
side slope at 2:1 and the end sloped at 4:1.
Isgur (1957) reported that, designed storage capacity must
be based upon requirements and probability of reliable supply of runoff.
Design of the storage capacity and watershed requirement should take
into account both evaporation and storage losses.
Gupta et al., (1974) conducted study on dual purpose pond.
According to them the dugout ponds in flat country can serve the dual
purpose of surface drainage and water storage. They also stated that
the capacity of dugout pond increases more and more rapidly with
increase in the height of the dugout pond that the capital cost of storage
decreases with increase in storage to excavation ratio.
Verma (1981) suggested that the capacity of pond should be
designed in such a way that the pond is full at the end of monsoon. The
depth of tank should be 2 to 5 m side slopes should be about 1.5:1.
Bhandarkar et al., (1993) concluded studies on potential of
water harvesting and recycling in rainfed area of Bhopal.

They

concluded that on an average 30 to 35 cm of water out of 120 cm of

average annual rainfall could be harvested and stored in dugout ponds
with about 3 m deep and having submergence area of 10 to 15 percent
of watershed. With the runoff stored in ponds two irrigation could be

given to 50 per cent watershed area in the kharif and entire area in rabi.
One irrigation during rabi at presowing and another during critical growth
storage has in increased the grain yield by 51 to 90 per cent in different
crops.
Sastry and Singh (1993) conducted a study on water
harvesting storage and recycling at Dehdradun. The study revealed that
total monsoon rainfall of 16.9 per cent can be harvested from treated
agricultural watershed into farm pond.

Major sourced of water loss

comprise storage and over flow from pond which accounts for nearly 118
and 40 mm respectively properly designed reservoir capacity and
suitable lining would minimize the losses. The catchment arid pond size
relationship worked out to 1 ha m capacity for every 6 & 9 ha of
catchment area for line a unlined farm ponds respectively in dune valley.
Sharda (1994) reported that the water harvesting technique
being adopted under different situations in Northern hilly regions with
special on their design criteria, rainfall runoff relationship, catchment area
storage capacity ratio and method to contain storage losses. Studies
revealed that properly designed dugout come embankment type pond /
reservoir when used for providing supplemental irrigation can help
improving the crop yield by 2 to 3 tone.
Kanetkar Kulkarni (1999) give the method of determining the
capacity of the farm pond. They stated that the reservoir volume are
determined from countour maps. The area enclosed by each contour
line is measured by plainimeter knowing the distance between the first
and second contour line and their areas, the volume of water between
them may be calculated either by trapezoidal formula or by prismodial
formula.
Trapezoidal formula
V = H/2 (A1 + A2)

Where,
The volume V between two contour at an interval H and
having area A1 and A2.
Prismodial formula
(A + 4B + C)
V =

x D
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Where,
V = Volume of excavation (m3)
A = Area of excavation at the ground surface (m2)
B = Area of excavation at mid depth point (m2)
C = Area of excavation at the bottom of pond (m2)
D = Average depth of the pond (m)