The document discusses O&M management for irrigation systems. It describes the maintenance learning process which involves identifying problems, developing solutions, and implementing solutions through maintenance plans. Effective O&M management requires setting objectives, establishing targets and conditions, and identifying resources. Monitoring and evaluation are used to determine if targets and objectives are met and make adjustments. Regular maintenance is important to maintain the hydraulic performance of irrigation infrastructure and ensure the long-term functioning of irrigation systems.

1. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
PRINCIPLES OF O & M MANAGEMENT
by
DR. ASHISH PANDEY
Associate Professor
Department of Water Resources Development and Management
IIT Roorkee-247 667 (UK), India
E-mail: ashisfwt@gmail.com

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INTRODUCTION
CONCEPTS OF MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT
Adequate maintenance of an irrigation system/project is a precursor to any
irrigation management. No water management is possible unless the
infrastructure to deliver water is in a reasonably good condition, to retain
its operational efficiency.
Irrigation structures are created through massive investment. The structures
need to be kept in good health for which a well established maintenance
programme needs to be followed. Good health means that design parameters of
canal and related structures are maintained for desired hydraulic operation.
There has been a gradual deterioration of the maintenance standards in various
projects in India partly due to inadequate provision for maintenance expenditure
in annual budget and partly due to the ignorance/negligence of the maintenance
related functions such as hydraulic survey, discharge measurements etc. by
irrigation engineers. Deteriorating irrigation channels and unscientific operating
procedures often preclude any significant improvement in management
practices.

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MAINTENANCE LEARNING PROCESS
• Strategy for improving existing irrigation systems :
 To evaluate the maintenance deficiencies on any particular system and then correct all
maintenance deficiencies that interfere with the proper operation of the irrigation
channels.
 Improved operations practices should be developed that will provide reliable, predictable
and equitable water deliveries to each outlet structure (tertiary system).
 When operation practices have been improved, then technical assistance should be
provided to the farmers so that they can improve their water management practices in
order to increase crop production.
• A maintenance learning process provides guidelines to
(a) identify problems (diagnostic analysis)
(b) develop and test solutions and
(c) provide field experience & insights into further improvements through
implementation of solutions.
The maintenance learning process is also meant to develop appreciation, create
awareness and equip the senior officers of irrigation department with the back
ground of the maintenance process.

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MAINTENANCE LEARNING PROCESS
• An irrigation system can be decomposed into four major subsystems
a) water source (s); b) water delivery; c) farm; and d) water removal.
Farm sub-system is the heart of an irrigation system; it performs system's
primary function, that of crop growth.
“Even if all the sub-systems have been properly designed, the lack in
operation of the system in accordance with the design criteria will likely lead
to failure of the system or low agricultural production levels”.
A common problem in irrigation systems is the continued cycle of irrigation
system construction followed by deterioration because of inadequate
maintenance and then rehabilitation (which ends up being major
reconstruction) followed again by deterioration. This recurring cycle usually
precludes timely and equitable distribution of water. Besides resulting in
stagnant growth in agricultural production, the construction phase adds to
cost of project.

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• Each project area is uniquely different having site specific nature of
irrigated agriculture. Therefore, approach should be process oriented
rather than an approach which emphasizes technology alone or which
is prescriptive (step by stem procedures).
The maintenance learning process emphasizes:
• (a) Maintaining rather than rehabilitating.
• (b) Documenting maintenance needs to improve financial
management and accountability.
• c) Using existing flow control structures for water measurement
• d) Developing physical knowledge about what is occurring within
the system.
• e) Increasing sensitivity about operating the system to meet needs
of farmers &
• f) Documenting the needs and costs for irrigation system
improvements.

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Some of the activities under the operation phase notably developing discharge ratings and
measuring channel losses are necessary to improve effectiveness of `walk-thru' maintenance
survey. Some of the important activities are briefly described below:
• Maps, Reports, Registers: Compile existing information on history of changes, that have
occurred with time and maintenance activities taken up in past. Inspection reports contain
important information.
• Flow control structures, Discharge Measurement: Identify flow control structures which can
be used for discharge measurement (falls, drops, culverts, regulators, gates at dam, barrage
etc). Develop discharge ratings in the field for all flow control structures. Collect water
measurements and estimate channel losses by inflow-outflow method for the reaches
suspected to have unusual seepage losses.
• Conduct `Walk-thru' Maintenance Survey: This should be preceded by i) hydraulic survey ii)
measuring channel losses, iii) obtaining maintenance information from farmers. `Walk-thru'
rather than `drive-thru' is very important. This helps in understanding physical phenomena
causing the problems. Detailed field notes should be made for (1) reaches requiring
sediment removal, (2) reaches experiencing scour and the causes (3) areas of vegetative
growth, (4) grading of roadway 5) repair or replacement of structure (6) cavities at bridge
abutments and gate structures (7) cavities along concrete lined reaches along with estimate
of cavity volume 8) failed lining panels (9) holes in lining panels.

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Fig. Maintenance phase of the irrigation M&O learning process for earthen channels

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Fig. Simplified flow chart of Operational Management

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Types of Maintenance
Routine or normal maintenance
Normal or routine maintenance are synonymous terms referring to the usual (normal) maintenance activities that
are conducted annually for an irrigation system. Normal maintenance involves those activities commonly done
(rather than `should be done') every year for example de-silting, reshaping, clearing (cutting of weeds in the
embankment), etc.
Emergency maintenance
Where unusual conditions occur that jeopardise the safety of the dam, head works, or the irrigation channels, then
the required maintenance is termed emergency maintenance because of the urgent need to take immediate action
for example canal breach, blocked intake, damaged sluice, etc.
Essential structural maintenance
Essential structural maintenance is the required maintenance for flow control structures that will allow the
structures to be used for discharge measurement after calibration, Ex: Repair of control gates, greasing or oiling of
gate gears, etc.
Deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance is the accumulation of maintenance needs being accrued under the normal or routine
maintenance program; most likely because of shortage of funds, and other reasons for example; removal of
significant silt, repair of heavily eroded embankments etc.
Catch-up maintenance
Catch-up maintenance is a program for taking care of the accumulated deferred maintenance needs in order to
upgrade the hydraulic performance of the system.
Prevention maintenance
Prevention maintenance is a program for taking care of the causes creating the maintenance needs when they are
only a minor problem, rather than allowing such maintenance needs to go unattended until they become a major
problem. In most cases routine maintenance is preventive maintenance.

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General Priorities for Maintenance Repairs
Sl.
No.
Priority type Comment
1. Diversion weir and
intake
Failure of this structure would have serious
consequences for the operation of the system. The
headwork has to have top priority for maintenance.
2. Leakage, unauthorized
offtakes and
overtopping
Losses of water from the canal system as a result of
leakage through banks, unauthorized off takes and
over topping of the canal embankments are a serious
matter because the loss results in inequitable water
distribution to tertiary outlets.
3. Gates and control
structures
Without gates, or stop logs in cross regulators control
of water is difficult. The system cannot be operated
efficiently without control structures in good condition.
4. Masonry repair Repairing of cracks in masonry is necessary to stop
water getting in behind the masonry and causing
cavities which can lead to ultimate collapse of the
masonry.
5. Embankment
Protection
Protection of canal embankments takes several forms
that is protection from:
- erosion by canal water
- gulling caused by low spots and crab holes
- removal by farmers for cultivation close to, or even
on top of embankments.
- erosion by human and animal traffic across the
canal.
6. Measuring structures Inefficient and incorrect water management will result
from having measuring structures in poor condition.
Measurements will be incorrect, water allocation
planning will be wrong and water distribution will be
inequitable.
7. Silt Removal Silt removal upstream of measuring structures has
very high priority (equal to priority 1 or 2). General silt
removal has a lower priority, except where excessive
silt build up has caused the water level in the canal or
drain to rise leaving inadequate operating freeboard.
8. Vegetation Removal Vegetation removal such as cutting grass on
embankments has a very low priority. Removing
grass from cracks in masonry and removing strong
root in shrubs and trees from the vicinity of structures
is more important.

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O & M Management
Operational plans are made after clear objectives are established. In annual or seasonal
plans, these objectives are related to long term goals and are re-established prior to the
onset of the year or season.
Objective setting
The objectives of operation and maintenance of an irrigation system have to be clearly
stated so that managers can determine whether the results of their actions are in
accordance with what is intended. At field irrigation level, typical objectives for water
delivery might include equity of water distribution to farmer's fields, matching water
deliveries to field level demand, or delivery of reliable water supplies. Output objectives
would be gross production for particular crops irrigated by the system. Normally these
objectives are long-term but are re-established prior to each season or year. In order to
achieve above stated objectives of water delivery, hydraulic performance of
infrastructure will have to be improved thus giving rise to the maintenance related
objectives such as minimize water loss, maximize carrying capacity etc.
Target development
Targets are normally in terms of specific quantitative values used in short term
implementation. Because they are expressed in numeric terms, it is relatively easy to
determine whether they were achieved, and the level of precision attained. For water
delivery, typical targets include conveyance and supply discharge, maintain water levels
and maintain water delivery schedule at each location in the system, and represent the
instructions passed down to the field level staff for subsequent implementation. On the
maintenance side, targets include develop discharge rating, remove sediment from a
specific reach, fulfill specific maintenance needs etc.

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Resource identification
Parallel with the process of setting target is the need to clearly identify what
resources are available. If finance, material, equipment, transportation or field
staffs are insufficient to accomplish a particular O & M task or fulfill a particular
target, then the manager has to revise the target. Effective management does
not include setting targets that are impossible to achieve. Effective use of
resources is necessary to meet the targets and fulfill the objectives.
Implementation
This represents, the scheduling of the activities to be undertaken by the staff of
the agency at different levels throughout the period including the arrangements
necessary for achieving the targets set down earlier. It will involve assessment of
the financial, human and other resources necessary for effective implementation.
Proper method of water delivery or distribution will have to be selected keeping
in view status of irrigation water supply. Major components in implementation of
operation plan are i) planning of water distribution plan, ii) preparatory work at
the beginning of a crop season, iii) operation of irrigation facilities to implement
water distribution plan iv)monitoring of the activities and v)evaluation at the end
of crop season.

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Monitoring
Managers have to be able to determine whether the plan was implemented as
expected, and that targets were fulfilled. If they were not met, then the
managers need to be able to ensure that the required steps are taken to obtain a
better level of achievement. This set of activities includes monitoring, which is
the process by which information on conditions within the irrigation systems are
collected for use by managers. The information may be used to adjust targets but
within a season, it is impossible to expect to change objectives.
In small irrigation systems, monitoring activities are straight forward, whereby
field staff gather data and relay it to the managers for confirmation of plan or
adjustments. In large systems, semi-automatic devices are used. Remote sensing
facilities can be used to monitor crop areas and water use.
Evaluation
At the end of each irrigation season, the net effects of the management of the
system have to be evaluated. Unlike monitoring, which largely focuses on the
fulfillment of targets and periodic adjustments of those targets in light of
changing conditions within the system during the season, evaluation is concerned
more with whether meeting the set of targets laid down resulted in the
attainment of the wider system objectives. This activity involves measurement or
estimation of indicators of performance based on the stated objectives.

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Fig. Role of maintenance programs for improving the hydraulic performance of an Irrigation system

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Planning of Maintenance
Irrigation network is perhaps the most costly element of an irrigation scheme designed to last for a
long time. However, many a time, one finds that even an irrigation system of recent construction bears
little resemblance to the original design after operation for a few years. The system is unable to deliver
the necessary water and distribute it equitably as envisaged originally and the cause would be
attributed to in-efficient or indifferent maintenance.
Maintenance needs/problems and solutions can be grouped into the following broad groups:
• Headwork’s i.e. dam or barrage
• Cross regulators
• Escapes
• Irrigation net work about outlet
• Tertiary irrigation system
• Drainage net-work
• Communication
• Any other important constituent specific to the irrigation scheme.
To formulate a maintenance program the following steps would be necessary:
• Make an inventory of all the works that require maintenance.
• Determine volume of maintenance activities to be undertaken and assess their costs.
• Establish optimum cycle of maintenance for each type of work.
• Determine the machinery and manpower requirements for each type of work.
• Establishing the maintenance periodicities and priorities.
• Ensure provision of the various where withal i.e. funds, materials etc.

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SUMMARY
• O & M management is the process through which institutions and/or
individuals set objectives for irrigation systems; establish appropriate
conditions and identify, mobilize and use resources, so as to attain these
objectives while ensuring that these activities are performed without causing
adverse effects to the environment.
• Procedures for attaining targets set are usually established. However, these
procedures have to be reflective of the actual or current situation to be
useful in implementing the operational plan. In some cases, they are not
used at all since these were established using unrealistic targets and
unreliable estimate of resources to achieve these targets. Most of these are
outdated and rigid in nature thus preventing their usage in the
implementation of the O & M plan.
• Maintenance learning process provides guidelines to identify problems,
develop solution and implement solutions. Maintenance needs are met or
problems solved through preparation and implementation of different types
of maintenance plans.

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