Abstract:
The is study aimed to assess the physical land suitability for surface irrigation in Katar
River watershed by using Geographic Information System (GIS). Watershed delineation,
identification of irrigable land, and estimation of surface runoff and irrigation water
requirements were the steps followed. Irrigation suitability factors such as slope,
characteristics of soil such as type, texture, depth, drainage and land use/cover were
classified based on the Food and Agricultural Organization guideline for land evaluation
in to highly suitable (S1), moderately suitable (S2), marginally suitable (S3) and
marginally not suitable (N) suitability classes independently, where the final potentially
irrigable land was identified by weighting the factors of suitability. Irrigation water
requirement of four commonly grown crops (Tomato, potato, Cabbage and small
vegetables) were computed from climate, crop and soil data inputs using Crop Water
Requirement (CropWat8.0) software and the capacity of low flow (90% time of exceedance
flow of Katar River) were estimated. The suitability analysis of the parameters indicated
that 45.33% of slope, 99.6 % of soil, and 79.9 % land use/cover of the study area were
classified as potentially suitable for irrigation development . By weighing analysis of all
parameters 93.47 % of the study area was found in a range highly suitable to that of
marginally suitable whereas about 6.53 % was restricted for irrigation developments. By
comparing the required water and available monthly flow of the river, the river had
insufficient capacity for irrigation application of the command area.
