Assessment of Irrigation Potentiality over an Area through the Combined Application of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS)

Abstract

There is a great influence of irrigated land of an area to the acreage and productions of agricultural crops and thus maintain the food security. Recent awareness about climate change and its impacts on global environmental challenges has drawn the great attention on rational and sustainable handling of irrigation resources and its networks. As one of the cutting-edge technologies remote sensing data and geographical information system (GIS) are very much useful for efficient management of irrigation networks and optimum utilization of irrigation schemes for the sustainable agricultural development. Irrigation potentiality is the total area which can be irrigated from a project on its full utilization. This implies that an area where water is available for irrigation in each season during a complete irrigation year. In the present study an attempt has been made to investigate the irrigation potentiality of an area using remote sensing data as primary source and field data and as well as ground water level data from secondary source. Landsat 8 OLI (Operational Land Imager) data of 2016 and 2017 have been used for this purpose. Existing irrigation system has also been identified through the investigation of natural and artificial sources of irrigation water of the study area. Seasonal irrigated area was also monitored during the crop growing season. Ground water level fluctuation was also studied using ancillary data.

Journal of Engineering Science 11(2), 2020, 141-148