Contirbution of small dams in the development of water resources of the Pothwar region [Pakistan]

Management of water resources in the arid regions of Pothwar is imperative for profitable agriculture. Government of the Punjab has constructed 31 small dams in the Pothwar region to store and conserve water for agriculture production and domestic use. The effective utilization of these dams can bring green revolution in the area. The reservoirs of these dams, however, are subject to huge evaporation losses. The estimated loss of water due to evaporation is 1.74 m/year which is about 20% of the storage capacity of these dams. The storage capacity of these dams has, however, reduced by about 25% due to silt deposition and vegetative growth. The cost of water storage in small dams is very high about 4 to 7 times greater than large dams, which demands judicious and efficient use of stored water. A study was conducted to document existing water resources development and management practices and their impacts on the socio-economic conditions of the farmers of three small dams namely: Jawa, Khasala and Dhok Sandy Mar. Seepage from these dams has built the groundwater resource. The installation of dugwells has increased many folds after the construction of these dams. The land use and crop intensities and crop yield have also increased many folds. Transformation of cropping pattern from traditional to high value crops has taken place. An analysis of inflow/outflow from the reservoirs shows that releases are not meeting the designed water requirements resulting less increase in cropping intensity than the planned value. However, if properly managed, more area could be irrigated with existing facilities and available water resources. Nevertheless, there are several bottlenecks in the full utilization of these small dams. These include: (i) illegal diversion of water; (ii) non-functional water user associations; (iii) poor maintenance of watercourses; (iv) tempered outlets (moghas); (v) poorly maintained field channels; and (vi) lack of agricultural support services etc. Well coordinated efforts by Small Dams Organization (SDO), Agriculture Extension and On Farm Water Management (OFWM) departments could help overcome these issues. This study also proposes strategies for efficient management of available water resources.