GOVERNMENT OF ODISHA

DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

COMMAND AREA SURVEY
&
PREPARATION OF l.s & d.s
 By Er: Somanath Sahoo
Command area Survey
Some technical terms as regards to water
application are as follows:
Gross-Command Area (G.C.A):
The total area including roads, villages etc.
which can be economically irrigated from the
project is called gross-command area. In
other words, it is the total area over which
water of irrigation canals can flow under
gravity. As a matter of fact, depending upon
the available source, only a part of the area
can be irrigated.
Culturable Command Area(C.C.A):
That area over which cultivation is possible
within project G.C.A., is known as
 It is obtained by deducting uncultured
area like ponds, barren land, forest, village
etc., from the G.C.A.
Un-command Area:
In the culturable command area, there
may be some high level culturable areas,
where the irrigation water cannot flow under
gravitational force from the canal. Such field
areas are declared un-command areas and
no water is allotted to them. Such areas
may be irrigated by tube-wells or other
methods of irrigation.
Culturable Cultivated Area:
The area which is used for growing crops
in the particular season.
Culturable Uncultivated Area:
The area where irrigation is possible, but
crops are not grown in a particular season.
The area left for the crops of next season is
known as culturable uncultivated area.
How Command Area Survey is
conducted
Command area survey can be carried
out on the village maps . Approximate
command area (ayacut area) can be
calculated from the topo sheet and number
of villages to be involved in the command
area . Contour survey can be carried out from
spot level basis or grid plan method . Spot
levels are taken on each plot of the village
and smooth curves(contour) of 1.00mtr
 Spot levels are taken on the corner points
of the square grid without referring to the
plots of the village, which known as grid plan
method of contouring . After drawing the
contour lines the obligatory areas like hills ,
forest, human settlement, ponds , schools,
roads, are deleted and the net area is
termed as culturable command area(CCA). A
contour map is attached for reference.
Alignment Of Main Canal/Ridge
Line/Valley Line/Chak
Boundary/Distribution System
Main Canal:
This is the canal which is directly taken off
from a river or reservoir. It is usually of large
size and no direct irrigation is done from it to
as a carrier of feed canal to branch and other
canals.
Branch Canals:
As the command area of big canals is very
large, it is not possible to supply water from
one canal. For supplying the water to the total
area the main canal is bifurcated into two or
more canals, which are known as branch
canals. Each branch canal is responsible to
irrigate a particular area. The branch canals
also do not supply water direct to the fields,
but serve as a feeder of the distributaries. But
in special circumstances outlets for irrigation
purposes can be provided on high spots,
which cannot be irrigated from the
distributaries.
Distributaries:
These are channels which carry small
discharge of 0.5 to 7.0 cumecs. They draw
their quantity of water from the branch
canals. Most of the irrigation is done by
distributaries, as they carry water to various
places of the command area.
Minors:
Sometimes these are also known as minor
distributaries. They draw their water from
the distributaries. As most area along the
distributaries and branches is high and
cannot be irrigated, therefore at such places
a minor is run more or less parallel along the
branch canal to irrigate these fields.
 Outlets are provided in the minors at
various points for irrigation purpose. Minors
carry discharge from 0.25 to 0.50 cumecs.
About 10-15 outlets are provided in each
minor.
Water Course:
These are also known as field channels and
are constructed and maintained by the
farmers. These are small channels which draw
water from the minors through their outlets
and carry it direct to the fields for irrigation
purposes. They may be lined or unlined. Now-
a-days farmers are being stressed to make
the water courses lined to save the precious
water from percolation loss. In special cases
they can also draw water from branches and
Canal Allignment:
These canals are constructed nearly
parallel to the contour lines of the area.
Usually main canals are constructed along
the contour lines for some length near the
diversion head work. Branch canals and
distributaries are also constructed as far as
possible on the contour lines.
The contours chosen for the alignment
should include all the contours of the area to
be irrigated. The contour canal irrigates the
areas whose elevation is lower than the
elevation of the canal, because water flows
under gravity from it to the fields. If irrigation
facilities are to be provided for the higher
areas, lift irrigation canals are provided.
Ridge Canal:
The canals constructed on the ridge or
water shed line are known as ridge canals.
These canals are usually taken off from the
contour canal. As this canal can irrigate
fields on its both the sides, its command area
is more. These canals also do not meet with
any cross drainage works, therefore their
construction cost is also low.
While doing the construction of these
canals if the ridge takes sharp turn, the
alignment of the canal should be made
straight as far as possible, because it
reduces the length of the canal and thereby
construction cost. Most of the irrigation
Side Slope Canal:
These canals are aligned approximately at
right angles to the contour canals along the
slope between the ridges and the valleys.
Usually these are parallel to the natural
drainage of the area, therefore, no cross
drainage works are required in them. These
canals have steep bed slope, therefore, lining
is done in them, otherwise heavy velocity will
erode them.
A number of main canal alignment
are decided upon the area of the command
and the location. If the command area are
located on both sides of the dam/barrage two
main canals are planed on both sides on the
barrage /dam at suitable location .
 Generally the off-taking point of the main
canal is fixed at 1.50mtr below the MWL in
case of barrage . A main canal alignment
runs a contour line which decreases
1.00mtr in 5.00km distance till the canal
reaches a bigger Nalla or water body .
The main canal fixes the boundary of the
command area. Distribution system of the
canal (distributary, minor , sub-minor) are
decided to distribute the water to the entire
command area through its canal Network.
The distributory, minor and sub-minor
generally follows ridge line of the area in
order to distribute water on both sides of
Chak Boundary
Introduction
The chak or outlet command is a basic unit
for irrigation management in the command of
Minor, distributory or any other parent
channel. Therefore, establishing layouts of the
chaks in the command of a given channel is
the first step of the planning process.
For this purpose, the contour map of the
command of minor or distributory to the scale
of 1:2000(1:4000 if command is very big)
with contour interval of 0.2 or 0.3 m should
be adopted.
Layout of chaks:
Following factors are considerd for
finalizing chak boundaries and total layout of
chaks.
Topography (Ridges, vallies, local
depressions, high patches, etc.)
Maximum permissible area which can be
irrigated in peak rotation by prescribed
discharge in a given flow period.
Maximum length of field channel.
The number of farmers to be served.
Other factor like village boundary,
road/railway lines, etc. A map is attached
showing the contour lines, canal alignment
with distribution system and chak boundary.
Preparation of LS & DS. of Canals
The command area (CCA) of a minor
or sub-minor is decided on the contour map
drawn in suitable scale. The corresponding to
the CCA discharge required in cumecs
@0.875lps / ha. is calculated with 10% excess
for fixing the canal parameter like Bed width ,
Depth of flow, Longitudinal slope of the canal,
mean velocity in mtr/sec after calculating the
critical velocity and CVR the Bed level of the
canal is fixed with full supply level .
Continuing in the same process the other
minors are /sub-minors are designed from the
tail end of the canal towards head of the
canal and the final discharge is fixed at the
head regulator of the canal .
 The LS of the canals are drawn from the
head regulator of the canal to the tail end
with fixation of FSD, velocity in mtr/sec , WS
slope, bed width, FS discharge, Bank width,
Free Board, Designed FSL, Designed Bed
level, NSL and RD in mtr.

L.S OF KRUSHNA CHANDRAPUR SUB-

MINOR-1 FROM CH: 00 TO 624.0 AND
DESIGN STATEMENT OF PAUNSIA
DISTRIBUTORY OFFTAKING FROM RD
26260.0M OF BETNOTI BRANCH CANAL
ARE ATTACHED FOR REFERENCE
Questions:
What are the types of canals according to
their various classification ?
Differentiate between contour canal and
ridge canal.
Describe advantage and disadvantage of
various canal alignment.
Write short note on G.C.A & C.C.A.
What are the main factors which affect the
design of canals ?
Book Reference:
Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulic
Structures by Santosh Kumar Garg.
Irrigation Engineering by G.S Birdie &
Ramchandra Das.
 Design of Canal Section

Following equations are used in designing a canal.

(i) V= 1/n R 2/3 S

(Mannings equation)
(ii) Q=A*V

Where : v= velocity (m/sec)

n= mannings rugosity coefficient
R=A/P=Hydraulic mean depth (m)
s= water surface/ bed slope
A= Wetted area (sqm)
P= Wetted perimeter (m)
Ref :- (i) IS 10430 : 2000 Criteria for Design of lined Canals and
guide lines for selection of type of lining
(II) IS 7112 : 2000 Criteria for Design of cross section for
unlined Canals in alluvial soil.
 Step by step procedure
Step Activity Lined canal
1 Q Ascertain Q from Design
statement
2 Longitudinal IS-10430 does not specify any
slope (Water criteria. Adopt slope 1:500 (for
surface small discharge of about 0.05
slope) cumecs ) to 1:3500 (for higher
discharges say above 30 cumecs).
Deviations may be allowed
depending on site condition.
3 n Choose suitable value of mannings
n from IS-10430 Table-1
4 Side slope Adopt side slope of canal depending
upon nature of soil. Stability of
slope is the governing factor. Refer
IS-10430 Table-2
5 Bed width Assume trial values of B and D.
and depth of Adopt B/D ratio between 1.5 to
flow 3.0. IS codes do not provide any
guide line in this regard. Deviations
may be allowed in cases.
Unlined canal
Same
IS-7112 provide following guide lines.
(i)s= 0.000315/ Q 0.165
(ii)s= 0.0003 f 5/3 /Q 1/6
Adopt a long. Slope depending on
site condition which is nearly equal to the
value calculated above.
Choose suitable value of mannings n
from IS-7112 Table-3
Adopt side slope of canal depending upon
nature of soil. Stability of slope is the
governing factor. In average condition
adopt side slope 1.5:1 in filling and 1:1 in
cutting (H:V). Ref :- IS-7112 Sec -4.2.1
Same
 Step by step procedure (cont.)

Step Activity Lined canal Unlined canal

6 Section Calculate A, P, R, V and Q Same

details

7 Critical VO = 0.546D 0.64

VO = 0.546D 0.64

velocity C.V.R.= V / VO C.V.R.= V / VO

and C.V.R.

8 Checks i. Calculated Q design- Q i. Calculated Q design- Q

ii. CVR 1.0 ii. 0.9 CVR 1.1

If any of above conditions does not If any of above conditions does not satisfy
satisfy go to step 5, adopt another go to step 5, adopt another set of trial B
set of trial B and D , else and D , else continue.
continue.

9 Other Adopt suitable values of free- same

section board, Top bank width, Berm etc.
parameters as per guide lines of IS code and
specific site requirement.

Note:- The trial and error iterations can be executed by an excel program .