Fifth Asian Soil Partnership workshop 26 February - 1 March 2019, New Delhi, India Prabhat R. Ojasvi

1. ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation
Dehradun
P.R. Ojasvi
pr.ojasvi@icar.gov.in, directorsoilcons@gmail.com
Dehradun
Himalayan Region
Chandigarh
Shiwalik Hills Region
Agra
Yamuna Ravines
Region
Kota
Chambal Ravines
Region
Vasad
Mahi Ravines Region
Datia
Dry Aravali Plateaus
Koraput
Shifting Cultivation
Ballari
Black Cotton Soil
Region
Udhagamandalam
Southern Hill Region

2. Vision
Conservation and management of soil and water resources of the country for
sustainable production.
Mission
To develop technologies for controlling land degradation and enhancing productivity on
sustainable basis for ensuring food, environmental, economic and livelihood security
of stakeholders.
Mandate
• Research for management of land degradation and rehabilitation of degraded lands
in different agro-ecological regions of the country.
• Co-ordinate research network for developing location-specific technologies in the
area of soil and water conservation.
• Centre for training in research methodologies and updated technology in soil and
water conservation and watershed management.

3.  Knowledge Base: land degradation due to soil erosion by water; Assess and
prioritize erosion risk areas for effective planning and implementation of
conservation programmes
 Mass Erosion Control
 Rainwater Harvesting and Water Conservation
 Conservation Agriculture
 Agroforestry and Horticulture for Resource Conservation
 Watershed Management
 Socio-economic Analysis and Policy Measures for Watershed Management
 Collaborations & Linkages with National and International Institutions
 Human Resource Development and Technology Transfer
Major Activities

4. Runoff plot of grass land Runoff plot of Araucaria forest
Runoff plot of Citrus orchardOveral view of the watershed

5. Mono-block H. flume and Coshocton wheel at the
watershed outlet
Tipping bucket type runoff and sediment sampler

6.  The gross erosion of the country is
5.11 Gt/ yr or 1559 t /sq km/ yr
 34.1 % deposited in the
reservoirs,
 22.9 % is discharged outside the
country (mainly to oceans),
 43.0 % is displaced within the
river basins
 The river basins of northern India
contribute about 81% of the total
sediment yield from landmass,
while the share of southern river
basins is 19%
Status of Erosion and Soil Budget of Country
Source: Sharda and Ojasvi, 2016

7.  India has 4937 reservoirs with 300
Gm3 storage capacity
 average annual percentage
capacity loss due to sediment
deposition is 1.04% or 3 Gm3
 Sediment deposit varies from 0.8%
to >2% Per year in smaller dams
(1–50 Mcum capacity) and from
<0.5% to 0.8% in larger dams (51
to >1000 Mcum capacity).
 Siltation of smaller dams poses a
serious threat to their ecosystem
services as they cater to a wider
population for domestic,
agricultural, and industrial
purposes.
Status of Erosion and Siltation in Reservoirs

8. 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
SD(Mt/yr)
Arunachal
Tripura
Sikkim
Manipur
Punjab
Goa
Meghalaya
J&K
Assam
WB
Bihar
Uttarakhand
Chhattisgarh
TamilNadu
Kerala
Jharkhand
Rajasthan
HP
UP
Orissa
MP
Gujarat
Karnataka
AP
Maharashtra
Total sediment deposition in reservoirs (Mt/yr)
Maharashtra looses 304 Mm3 storage capacity every year = Annual water
demand of Pune City.

9. Modelling Erosion-Yield Relationships
• There are empirical and process-based models to
estimate erosion-induced changes in crop yields.
• Simple correlations, pedotransfer functions, and
multivariate analyses are commonly used statistical
tools to assess erosion vs. yield relationships.
• Principal component analysis (PCA) is another
approach to identify the most sensitive soil
parameters affecting crop yields.
• Geostatistics and remote sensing are useful to
evaluate soil erosion impacts across large fields.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Soil Loss (t/ha)
YieldLoss(%) Grain Stover
Yield loss of pearlmillet due to erosion
from mild sloping land (0.5-3%) in
semi-arid rainfall region
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Runoff Soil Loss
8% slpoe
Contour Cultivation
Graded Bunding
Contour Bunding
Bench Terracing
Maize and Wheat Rotation
3864
3833
3871
4219
3600
3700
3800
3900
4000
4100
4200
4300
Contour
Cultivation
Graded Bunding Contour Bunding Bench TerracingMaizeequivalentyield(Kg/ha)
8%

10. • Production and monetary losses due to water erosion were
computed for 27 major cereal, oilseed and pulse (COP) crops
cultivated in the rainfed areas of Indian states (Sharda and
Dogra, 2013)
• The country as a whole loses 15.7% of its total production of COP
crops
• Which is equivalent to ₹ 292.03 billion in monetary terms as per
the MSP
• Out of the total production and monetary losses at national level,
the cereals are the major contributors (66% and 44%,
respectively), followed by oilseeds (21% and 32%, respectively)
and pulses (13% and 24%, respectively)
• Paddy is most affected among all the crops in terms of production
(4.3 million t) loss followed by maize, soybean, groundnut,
sorghum and other pulses
Soil Erosion and Food Security

11. Projected Change in Sediment yield from baseline to mid century for modeled part of
the Ghagra basin
Modelling Impacts of Climate Change

12. Percentage increase or decrease in
water demand in 2020, 2050, and 2080
as compared to 2005
Modelling Impacts of Climate Change
Case of Sharda Sahayak Command Area
Temperature Change
Change in ET

13. Existing to Developed Watershed
-16.7
9.6 11.7
25.5
-30.0
-20.0
-10.0
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
1
PercentChangeinwater
availability
jul-sep
oct-dec
jan-mar
apr-jun
Existing to Degraded Watershed
21.1
-18.8
-12.2
-32.3
-40.0
-30.0
-20.0
-10.0
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
1
PercentChange
jul-sep
oct-dec
jan-mar
apr-jun
Percent change in quarter-wise water availability under the landuse change
Water availability under deficit rainfall during droughts
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
jul-sep oct-dec jan-mar apr-jun
Thousands
Wateravailability(Cu.m.)
Normal
20% Decrease
40% Decrease
60% Decrease
The quarter-wise water availability under deficit rainfall conditions during low, moderate and severe droughts
WATER AVAILABILTY

14. IISWC
Trench cum bund: Eastern Ghats region of Odisha –
increases crop yield by 15-20%.
In-situ water harvesting for
subsistence of horticultural crop
(Mango) in semi-arid areas of Gujarat
-Survival improved up to 92%
Jalkund for dry uphill slopes
Gujarat region
ARABLE LANDS

15. IISWC
Compartmental bunding for in-situ rainwater conservation and
sorghum crop
Jhola kundi with traditional water lifting devices and Krishak Bandhu pump

16. Enhancing Rainwater productivity under farmpond through Solar powered for small farmers
Region- Karnataka (by IISWC, RC Bellary)
Crops grown Area covered
(Acre)
Yield (Kg) Net income
(Rs)
BC ratio
Chilli 1.75 1750 122500 3.3
Tomato 1.25 2500 15000 1.4
137500
Crops grown Area covered
(Acre)
Yield (Kg) Net income
(Rs)
BC ratio
Chilli 1.75 2275 183750 5.2
Tomato 1.25 3000 30000 2
213750
Economics of vegetable cultivation with surface irrigation using
diesel pump (pre-scenario).
Economics of vegetable cultivation with drip irrigation using solar
pump
 Energy saving in solar pump
= 545 kWh
 Saving in cost of energy
= Rs 7603
 CO2 emission avoided
= 357 Kg

17. IISWC
Recommended Domain
Seasonal streams, Red soils of Bundelkhand region
The surface runoff generated from sloping lands during rainy season is harvested and stored into a
dug out pond
Water harvesting- Dugout Pond
 Yield of soybean increased by 40% with one supplemental irrigation
 Yield of toria increased by 180% with one supplemental irrigation
 Yield of mustard increased by 130 and 400% with two supplemental irrigation
 Cost:benefit ratio- 1: 2.3

18. IISWC
Water is diverted from perennial streams or springs stored in a low-cost pond and utilized through
gravity-fed micro irrigation system to grow vegetable crops in hilly terraces
Water harvesting- Perennial stream flow/ Low discharge springs
Low-cost water harvesting pond
 Capacity : 10 m3 (cost Rs.16000)
 Lining material: Silpaulin sheet (200 GSM)
Drip irrigation system
 Inline drip tape, Mainline, Screen Filter
Small low cost water harvesting pond for gravity fed micro
irrigation
A view of tomato with gravity-fed drip irrigation
Low cost drip irrigation for sloping broad based terraces
Domain: Terrace cultivation of high value vegetable
crops

19. IISWC
Water harvesting- High discharge springs
Water conveyance system- Underground pipe line with risers
Tanks capacity 70,000 & 50,000 Litres
Length of pipeline 5.3 km
Risers (Nos.) 45
Discharge 12 (litr/sec)
Number of beneficiaries 44
Command area (ha) 25
Total cost Rs.19,20,000

20. IISWC
Karanj Based Silvipastoral System:
for Effective Utilization of Chambal
Ravines
B: C ratio 1.32:1
Kinnow Mandarin For Degraded
In Doon Valley
B:C ratio of 5.0:1
NON-ARABLE (Degraded) LANDS

21. IISWC
Mango Based Agri-horticultural
System For Degraded Lands - North
Western Himalayas
B:C ratio - 3.5:1
Aonla Based Agri-horticultural
System For Sloppy Lands In Doon
Valley
B:C ratio – 4.0:1
Application of jute geo-textiles for
slope stabilization and vegetation
establishment

22. Staggered Contour Trenching for horti-pastoral land use in medium-
deep ravines of Chambal
Create additional surface storage capacity of 33.3 mm/ha
Conserve runoff by 87.3%
Retain sediment yields of 9.5 t/ha/year
The system yields 7.2 t/ha of Aonla, 23 numbers of bamboo
clums/ha and 8.5 ton grass/ha annually
Development phase: 25 years B: C Ratio of 3.05
Masonry spillways for drainage line treatment in shallow and
medium ravine system
Masonry spillways are constructed at gully head Increase in-situ moisture in field, and crop yield (89% in case
of mustard). It gives an average benefits of Rs 90000/year

24. Watershed Treatment
Drainage line Treatment
Particulars Before
treatment
(1983)
After treatment
(1996)
Debris outflow,
t/ha/yr
550 6
Monsoon runoff, % 57 37
Water quality Not potable Potable
Lean period flow,
days
60 240
Vegetation cover, % <10 >90
Before
After
After

25. P R Ojasvi IISWC
• Out of 4000 Bm3 of rainfall in our country, ~60% or 2400 Bm3 available as
overland runoff/soil storage is the core objective of integrated watershed
development
• About 60 M ha area has been claimed to be treated under various IWM
programmes funded by Three ministries- MoA&FW, DoLR and MoEF
• There is an increased need to demonstrate the outcomes of these
development projects and programs
• Advanced computation tools are employed to analyse and document the
region-specific impacts
• The assessments and evaluation of conservation practices should be carried out at
• field, watershed and landscape scale
Integrated Watershed Management Programme in India

26. Field-scale and Watershed-scale Rainwater Productivity

27. Impact of Watershed Development
Impact of watershed development work (2008-2014)
(location in different agro-ecological regions of the country)
Objective / Parameter Impact
Reduction in runoff and soil
loss
Reduction in runoff (field scale) – 80%
Reduction in soil loss (field scale) – 84%
Creation of storage for
harvested water
0.43 – 24.2 ha-m
Increase in cropping intensity – 11%
Inducing groundwater storage Average rise in water table – 0.18-4.0 m (Summer)
12.8-18.3 m (Post
monsoon)
Increasing crop and water
productivity
Increase in crop productivity- 28-83% (various
crops)
Increase in water use efficiency- 15-26% (kharif
crops)
22-32% (Rabi crops)
Increase in soil quality – 6.7-11.5 %
Crop diversification through
vegetable crops, horticulture
and agro-forestry
Increased area under horticulture/agroforestry-5-
24 ha
Reduction in fallow area – 13%
Overall environmental
sustainability through DLT and
bio-engineering measures
Reduction in runoff (watershed scale) – 40%
Reduction in soil loss (watershed scale) – 17%
Average rate of silt deposition- 13.6 t ha-1 yr-1
Overall increase in vegetation cover- 4-9%
Livelihood support through
income generating activities.
Income earned by SHG’s – Rs. 11500-50400 per year
Overall increase in income- 5-13%

28. P R Ojasvi CSWCRTI
Soil conservation and sediment control programmes
• Gross erosion in river basins is most prominently influenced by land-use factors
• Erosion rates across the basins has negative correlation with increasing
agriculture area
• attributed to adoption of appropriate conservation measures, & irrigation
• Where in the catchment change has occurred?

29. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
For Understanding Watershed Dynamics
P R Ojasvi CSWCRTI
KG-4 WATERSHED
6-9-1 Fold 1 Training
y = 0.5776x
R2
= 0.1481
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 10 20 30 40
6-9-1 Fold 2 Training
y = 0.5883x
R2
= 0.2839
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 10 20 30 40
6-9-1 Fold 3 Training
y = 0.593x
R2
= 0.2181
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 10 20 30 40
6-9-1 Fold 4 Training
y = 0.583x
R2
= 0.3698
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 10 20 30 40

30. B
A
B
B
A
A
Before Treatment
After TreatmentA
B
Sainji Watershed
Before treatment 2001-2003 (3 years)
After Treatment 2004-2008 (5 years)
Choe Watershed
Before treatment 1964-65
After Treatment 1965-2003 (38 years)
Each point denote 5 years epoch
Watershed Behaviour Before and After Treatment in
Budyko Space
Aridity Index
EvaporativeIndex

31. THANK YOU