Performance Evaluation of Small-Scale Irrigation Scheme: (A case Study of Golina Small-Scale Irrigation scheme, North Wollo, Ethiopia)
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Date
2018-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Performance evaluation of irrigation system is essential to assess how far the goals and objectives
set forth at the time of project formulation of the system have been achieved. Efficient operation
and management for small scale irrigation system plays an important role in the sustainability of
irrigated agriculture. Nowadays, non-uniform water distribution among upstream and downstream
users, structural failure, sedimentation and growing of weeds are the characteristics of Golina
small-scale irrigation scheme. This study was initiated to evaluate the performance of Golina
small-scale irrigation scheme using efficiency indicator, maintenance indicator and farmers
perception. Primary data (discharge measurements in the canals, measurement of water applied to
the farmers’ field, field observations, interviewing beneficiary farmers, and determination of
moisture contents of the soil before and after irrigation, determination of soil physical properties)
and secondary data like design document and number of farmers were collected to conduct this
study. This study was conducted for one irrigation season (February-May). The collected data were
analyzed using empirical equations and statistical analysis in percentage basis. The application
efficiency result on three sample plots in farmers’ field located at Head, middle and tail reaches of
the command area were found to be 46.30%, 65.87% and 76.07% respectively. Based on the
maintenance indicator analysis, the main canal transports 82% of its design capacity. The
effectiveness of infrastructures is found that 38.36% of initially installed structures were nonfunctional.
The
sustainability
of
irrigated
area
of
the
scheme
was
decreased
by
35.14%
compared
with
the
planned
area.
Based
on
the
assessment
of
farmer’s
perception
about
the
performance
of
the
irrigation
scheme,
the
respondents
believe
that
major
problems
that
make
the
scheme
to
be
inefficient
were
maintenance
problem,
water
theft or
unauthorized
canal
breaching
in
the
scheme,
water
shortage
and
water
utilization
conflict
and
they
have
low
level
of
ownership
of the
scheme.
Generally
the overall performance of the scheme is considered as poor. So, it is important to
strength water user association, provide hydraulic flow measurements, routine maintenance and
creating awareness for the users to achieve good performance of the scheme.
Description
Keywords
Golina, Performance, Efficiency, Maintenance, Applied depth