RecommendationsLowcostwaterharvestingstructures

Lowcostwaterharvestingstructures
LDPEFilmLinedTank
Toincreasetheirrigationpotentialinhills,itisnecessarytodevelopthewaterresourcesby
meansofsmalltanks(capacityupto100m3).Thecriterionforthedesignoftanksshouldbe
suchthatitnotonlyreducestheseepagelossesbutitiscosteffectiveaswell.Thecement
tankforinstanceisabletochecktheseepagelossesbutthecostbecomesthelimitingfactor
ineconomicexploitationofwaterresources.Ontheotherhandunlinedtankspronetoheavy
seepage losses (300400 litre per day per m2) and may not be able to supply water for
irrigation during stress. Thus, for the effective water storage, the tank should be with
minimumseepagelossandcosteffective.
Low density polyethelene (LDPE) film has been successfully used to effectively control the
seepagelossatmuchlowercostthanthecementtanks.Thefilmusedshouldhaveminimum
thicknessof200,otherwiseitbecomespronetophysicaldamage.Enhancementofeffective
lifeofplasticfilmandtoavoidthephysicaldamagetheprotectionofthefilmisnecessitated
whichcanberealizedthroughpitching.
Benefitsofpondliningwithplasticfilms

Reductioninseepagelossestothemaximumextent(95%)

Harvestingandstoringofrainwaterfromearlymonsoons.

Utilizationofharvestedrainwaterforshortduringcropsaswellasduringoffseason.

Lining of ponds and reservoirs with plastic film improve water availability over a
longerperiodoftime.

Itishighlyusefulinporoussoilswhereretentioninpondsandwaterharvestingtanks
isminimal.

Economicalandeffectivemethodofstoringwater.

Eliminateswaterloggingandpreventsupwardintrusionofsaltsintostoredwater.

Usefulforthepurposeofstorageofdrinkingwater,forpiscicultureandforproviding
supplementaryirrigation.

Preventssoilerosion.

Techniqueisalsosuitableforliningofeffluentpondsandchannelstoreducesoiland
groundwatercontamination.

It can also be used in the lining of saltpans for improving productivity as well as
qualityofsalt.

Thedetailsofsubsidyareasunder:

Item

Maximum permissible PatternofAssistance*

cost*

(a) Community
Rs. 15 lakh/unit in
tanks/on farm plain areas, Rs. 17.25
ponds/onfarm lakh/unitinhillyareas.
water
reservoirs with
use
of
plastic/RCC
lining.

100% of cost for 10 ha of command area, with

pond size of 100 m x 100 m x 3 m or any other
smaller size on pro rata depending upon the
command area, owned & managed by a
community/farmer group. Cost for nonlined
ponds/tanks (only in black cotton soils) will be
33% less. Assistance under NHM will be
restricted to the cost of plastic/RCC lining.
However, for non MNREGS beneficiaries,
assistance on entire cost including construction
of pond/tank as well as lining can be availed
underNHM.

Rs. 1.20 lakh/unit in

plain areas, Rs. 1.38
lakh/unit in hilly areas
for
maximum
commandareaat2ha

50%ofcostincludinglining(inplains)and75%of
cost i.e. Rs. 1.03 lakhs per beneficiary in hilly
areas. For smaller size of the ponds/dug wells,
cost will be admissible on pro rata basis.
Maintenancetobeensuredbythebeneficiary.

(a) Water
harvesting
system
for
individuals
for storage of
water
in
20mx20mx3m
ponds/dug
wells @ Rs.
100/cum

*Subsidies are liable to be changed from time to time and please consult your local horticulture
officersforlatestpatterns.

Layout,Shape,sizeandstoragecapacity
Shapedependsonthesoiltype,whichdictatesthemaximumpossibleslopethatwillstayin
placewithoutfallingin.normally,theshapeiskeptastrapezoidalwithsideslopesof1:1to
1:2andeffectivedepth1.5to5m.Thesideslopesshouldhavearatioof1:1and1:2forstable
andunstablesoils,respectively.Thepondshouldbeconstructedintheformoffrustumofan

invertedpyramid(Fig.1&2).Thesizeofwaterharvestingstructuresisimportant,butmore
important is its sustainability, efficiency and appropriateness. The demand dictates the
requiredstoragecapacity.Thecatchmentareaandrainfalldeterminethesupplyandstorage
capacityarenecessaryforachievinghigherwaterproductivity.Thebasicprincipleforsizing
anyrainwatersystemisthatvolumeofwaterthatcanbecapturedandstored(thesupply)
mustequalorexceedthevolumeofwaterrequired(thedemand).Thewaterstoragecapacity
ofpond(V,volume)having1:1sideslopescanbecalculatedwithfollowingformula:
V=H/2[(W2F)(L2F)+(L2H2F)(W2H2F)
Where,L=Toplength(m);W=Topwidth(m);H=Depthoftank(m);F=Freeboard(m)
Note:LandHcanbedecideddependinguponsiteconditions.However,Hshouldnotbeless
than 1.5 m and more than 5 m. normally, free board (F) for the small ponds may be kept
between0.1to0.3m.unitsofmeasurementscanbetakeninfeetormeters.
Analternativeandsimplifiedformulaforcomputingthevolume(V)oftrapezoidshapeponds
with1:1slope(Fig.2)is:
V=[L1XW1+L2XW2+(L1XW2+L2XW1)/2]H/3
Where,L1=Toplength,W1=Topwidth,L2=Bottomlength,W2=Bottomwidth,H=Effective
depth
Thecostmayvaryfromsitetositeasperheadload,sizeofpondetc.andsiteconditions.A
contingency,excavationprovisionextrarateconsideredforestimationarecurrentpertaining
tomarketrate.Thedetailsofcalculatingpondsof100x100x3mand20x20x3misgivenatthe
endofthischapter.
Computation of requirement of material: The material for trapezoidal shaped farm pond with side
slopesof1:1canbecalculatedasunder:

Areaoftheliningsheet

=[22(H+F)+1.0+(W2H2F)]x[(22(H+F)+1.0+(L2H2F)]

Areaofbrick/stonepitching =[22(H+F)x(W+L2F2H)]+[(L2H2F)x(W2H2F)]
(Excludingperipheralpath)
Thumbruleforcomputingareaoftheliningsheet:
Lengthofsheet:[2xPathwidth(m)+2xSlanteddepth(m)atcorner+Bottom(floor)length
(m)+2(0.5m)forsheetanchoringintheperipheraltrench]
Widthofsheet:[2xPathwidth(m)+2xslanteddepthatcorner(m)+Bottom(floor)width
(m)+2(0.5m)forsheetanchoringintheperipheraltrench]
Areaofsheet=Lengthofsheetxwidthofsheet

Approximately4.5m2LDPEsheet(250micron)weighsabout,1.0kg
Weight(kg)ofblackLDPEsheet=

Areaofthesheet

4.5

Weight(kg)ofcrosslaminated=

Areaofthesheet

Silpaulinsheet(200gsm)

ThethicknessofLDPEsheetshouldbe200250microns(8001000gauge)andshouldconform
toBISstandard2508/1977.Forlargesizefarmpondsofcapacitymorethan1000m3,1000
gaugesheetshouldbeused.
Constructionoffarmpond
The construction process includes (i) Selection of site (ii Excavation (iii) Lining of pond with
sealants.
Selectionofsite:Thesiteshouldbeselectedkeepinginviewthefollowingissues:

Thepondshouldreceivesufficientrunoff.

Thesiteshouldbesuchthathigherstorageexcavationratiocanbeachieved.

The site should not have hard rocks which would require blasting consequently
increasingthecostofconstruction.

Thepondshouldbeclosetothecommandareatoensureeaseofirrigationpreferably
throughgravityflow.

Thesiteshouldnotbeveryclosetotheexistingsprings,ifany;otherwiseexcavation
maydisruptthecapillarylinesofthespringresultinginreduceddischarge.

Thepondshouldnotbeconstructedoverthenaturalwatersourceiffoundduringthe
excavationprocess.

Thereshouldnotbeanylargetreenearthesite.

Excavation:Firstofall,theponddimensions(L,W,Dandsideslope)identifyandthenmark
the top level (outer rectangle/trapezium) as well as the bottom level (inner
rectangle/trapezium)lengthandwidthclearlyontheground(Fig.3).Putpegsatthecorners
ofboththerectanglesandtiearopetodemarcateponddimensions.Startdiggingtheareaof
theinnerrectangletill desireddepthisachieved.Excavatedsoilcanbekeptnearthepond
aroundtheperipheryandusedlaterfollowingtheprincipleofcutandfillratio.Give1:1slope
by digging the side walls of outer rectangle for better stability of walls and pitching of

stones/bricks. This is readily ascertained by joining the top corners of the outer rectangle
withtheadjacentandnearestbottomcornersofinnerrectanglewithawoodenframe.
Finishingofpondbedandsidewalls:Afterexcavation,thesideslopesofpondaremadesmoothand
compactedbyremovingangularprojections,protrudingstones,pebbles,rootsetc.Beforelayingthe
sheet, apply thin layer of slurry of clay and cow dung or place a thin layer of used gunny bags/soft
grass between the sheet and the walls of the pond to avoid damage by sharp protruding objects.
SprayofAtrazine@0.4g/m2isgivenonthesidewallsafterapplyingslurryforcontrollingweeds.If
needed,simplepipe(5cmdiameter)spillwaymaybeprovidedtoregulatetheoutflow.

Liningofpondwithsealants:Thepondsarelocatedonavarietyofsoiltypeswhichexhibit
wide range of seepage characteristics. The pond must be lined with a suitable sealant to
minimize seepage losses and to improve storage efficiency. Different sealants have been
evaluatedbydifferentinstitutesinthestate(Table1).BothblackLDPEandSilpaulinsheets
were found equally good. The black LDPE sheet has been proved to be more appropriate
owing to its low cost and reliability. The Silpaulin sheet is costlier than the black LDPE. In
addition,Tarfeltandothersheetsarealsoavailablewhichcanbeusedforlining.
JoiningofLDPEsheet:Generallyplasticsheetsareavailableupto14mwidth.Ifpossible,joiningof
sheetsshouldbeavoidedbyprocuringsheetofrequiredwidth.Ifjoiningrequired,bitumenheatedto
1000Cisspreadover30cmwidestripononesheetandthispaintedportionofthesheetisputover
thecounterpartandispressedbyasmoothobject.Itisthenallowedtocool.Sheetcanalsobe
joined/repairedwithsyntheticrubberadhesive.

LayingofLDPEsheetandfixingoutletpipe:Theplasticsheetisspreadoverthedugoutarea
after ensuring that there are no sharp stones, pebbles, etc. on the side slopes. Anchor the
liningsheetedgesinasmalltrench(0.25x0.25m)dugaroundtheexternalperipheryofthe
pondtoensurethatsheetliessmoothlyonthesidewallsofthepondandfirmlyheld.The
trenchcanbeapproximately0.5mawayfromtheexternalperipheryofthepond.Thelining
sheetshouldfitinthepondarealooselysothatitdoesnotbreakwhenitisanchored.The
sheetshouldnotbeplacedonaveryhotandwindyday.Forfixingtheoutletpipethrough
the sheet, a hole of 5 cm diameter, slightly larger than that of outlet pipe is made in the
sheet. The sheet is then embedded with pipe in the embankment by pouring additional
cementconcrete(1:3:6)overthesurfaceadjacenttohole.
Stone/brickpitching:Thestone/brickpitchingimpartslongevitytothesheetaswellaspond
andbothareimportantconsiderationsoffarmers.BothblackLDPEandSilpaulinsheetsare
UV resistant but these are damaged by sunlight if exposed for longer duration. The plastic
sheetmustbeprotectedbycoveringwithinertmaterialsuchassoil,bricks,stones,etcwhich
is not damaged by UV rays. Pitching with bricks/stones also protects the sheet from any
accidentalphysicaldamagebysharpobjects.Thebrickpitchingofbottomofthepondcanbe
avoidedandsheetiscoveredwithabout15cmsoillayer.Ifsoilisnottobeused,atoewallis
essentialtosupportthebricksinthesideslopes.Forthisatrench(about5x5cm)istobedug
along the bottom periphery of the pond. Once the toewall is constructed then the brick
pitching of the sides should be done from bottom to top. In areas, where bricks are not

readilyavailable,flatstoneswithbluntedgescanbeused.Stonepitchingisstartedbyplacing
biggerdiameterstones(about20cm)atthebottomoftheslope.Thediameterofthestones
shouldbegraduallyreduced(about10cm)asthepitchingworkproceedstowardsthetopof
thesideslopes.Thebricks/stonesarearrangedinamannerthatprovidesgriptoeachother.
The gap between the bricks/stones may be then filled with cement mortar (1:8) for
strengthening the pond. The top 30 cm width of stone pitching is plastered with cement
mortar(1:4).Ifdepthofpondismorethan2.0m,30cmwideverticalbondbycementmortar
maybeprovidedatanintervalof0.6m.
Siltretentiontrench:Constructsiltretentiontrench(2x1m)alongtheinletchannelnearthepondto
preventsiltgettingintothepondincaseofsurfacerunoffharvesting.Thetrenchisdividedinto23
segmentstolowerdownthevelocityofrunoffandtoallowmoretimeforthesilttosettledown.The
siltretentiontrenchshouldalsohaveproperLDPEsheetliningandbrickpitchingtoavoidseepage.
Therunoffwaterisfirstdirectedtosiltretentiontrenchandtheinletchannelfromthistrenchis
connectedthereaftertothestoragepond.

Table1.CostofdugoutLDPEfarmpond(20x20x3mwitheffectivecapacityof650m3)withdifferent
liningmaterials

Sr.No.

1.

Liningmaterial

Approx. cost of Cost (Rs/m3 of Expected

construction
water
(years)
(Rs.inlakh)
harvested)

Kaccha pond without 0.31

sealant

48.00

2.

BlackLDPEsheetlining

78.38

57

3.

BlackLDPEsheetlining& 2.34
pitchingwithbricks

299.50

20+

4.

Silpaulin sheet lining (UV 0.70

resistant)

82.30

57

5.

Silpaulin sheet lining (UV 2.85

resistant)&pitchingwith
bricks

351.00

20+

6.

Masonry
tank

2462.00

20+

Irrigationpotential

0.61

cement/RCC 16.00

life

Pondsof50200m3capacitycanbeeasilyconstructedonindividualfarmerbasiswhichare
sufficient for vegetable cultivation in about one kanal area. A 100 m3 capacity pond once
filledcanprovidefiveirrigationsthroughtraditionalsystemseachof5cmtoonekanalarea
(400 m2). The irrigation potential can be increased upto 56 times if hightech irrigation
systemslikedriporsprinklerirrigationsystemsaretobeused.Itispertinenttomentionhere
that rooftop area of polyhouses can be effectively used for rain water harvesting. A
polyhouseof200m3rooftopareacanyieldupto160m3waterintheareahavingaverage
annualrainfall100cmwhichcanfullymeetthewaterrequirementofcropsgrowninsidethe
polyhouse.
Protectionandmaintenance

Trespassingbyanimalsshouldbeavoided.

In case the sheet is punctured or damaged, paste required size of LDPE sheet using
heatedbitumenatdamagedportion.

Clean the silt retention trench regularly. Inspect inlet channel and collecting area
regularly.Periodicallycleanthepondandremoveaccumulatedsilt/algae.

Storageofwateroffirst12monsoonshowersshouldbeavoidedforpreventingquick
sedimentationofsiltationtank.

Thedos&dontsinLDPEfarmpond
Dos

Ensuregooddressingbeforelayingthesheet.

Jointingofthesheet,ifrequired,isdonebyheatsealing/syntheticrubberadhesiveat
thesiteitself.

Directtherainwatertothepondthroughasinglepoint.

Recommendedcement:sandratiois1:4forbricksjoiningatthetop30cm.

Ensure a systematic procedural follow up and the use of right quality material and
goodworkmanship.

Donts

Dontusehooksandalsodontdragthesheet.

Dontwalkonthesheetwhileitisbeinglaid.

Dontuseroughtoolsorequipmentsforcleaning.

Whileconstructingpond,makesuretherearenotreesnearthepond.

Costestim
mateofLDPEElinedfarmp
pondsize20xx20x3m(Top
pDimension)
Toplenggth=20m

Bo
ottomLength
h=11m

Topwidtth=20m

Bo
ottomwidth=11m

LengthoffLDPEsheet=11+2(6.36)+1+1

2m
WidthoffLDPEsheet=11+12.72+2 =25.72

ofsheet=25
5.72(say26mtr)
=Lengtho

Areaofssheet=676m
m2=150kg(BlackUV20
0micron)
No.ofbrricksrequiredforlining==24x24x50==28,800
Costofsheet=150x2
200=30,000
0
Costofb
bricks=28,80
00x6=1,72
2,800
Costofearthwork50%cutfill@
@Rs.80/m3=781.5x80
=

=Rs.31,260.00

Totalcosst=Rs.2,34,060/
Unitcosttwithbricklining =

2,34,06
60

7,81.5

Rs.299
9.5perm3

0.30Paisape
erlitreorRss.300perm
m3
=0

Contingeency,excavationchargess10to15%eextra(unitccostmayvaryasperheaadloadatsitte)
Unitcosttwithoutbrricklining

61,,260

=Rs.0.078p
perlitreorRs.78.38per
R
rm3

781.5

Unitcostmayvaryaspersiteconditionasescalationcharges(Therateconsideredarecurrent
prevailingtomarketrate)