Diagnostic analysis of an irrigation command by satellite Remote Sensing: Case study of Mehasana district command of Sabarmati right bank main canal, North Gujarat, India

Multi temporal, multi date remote sensing data was processed using Erdas imagine software to study crop growth stages and identify period of full canopy (harvest season).Generation of vegetation spectral index and crop evapotranspiration for full canopy stage of Rabi season, February month was carried out over Mehasana district command of Sabarmati Right bank main canal, North Gujarat, India, The use of Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS)-P6 Linear Imaging and Self Scanning-III (LISS-III) and Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) data was done. Distributary wise, two RS-based performance indices, namely, adequacy (AI), equity (EI) were computed. AI was computed by comparing the crop water requirement with the water release data. EI was evaluated by observing the head-to-tail difference in two distributaries. It was found that water availability was in excess along main canals and branch canals. In cropped area, it was less and crop condition was poor towards the tail ends of the command area. The two RS based indices could rank the performance of the distributaries and also identify those having problems in water allocation. The crop evapotranspiration was estimated using vegetation index NDVI. Crop coefficients and reference crop Evapotranspiration were developed for the month of February using LISS-III scene of February 2008 and local weather data. Crop water requirement for the month of February was evaluated.