Suppressing Capillary Salination and Reclaiming Land and Water Resources

EasyChair Preprint 7490

Abstract

A novel concept of re-using irrigation water ( operational mismatch and farm loss) from Iranamadu Tank (IT) and d/s catchment run-off during the northeast monsoon by capturing it downstream of the irrigation area at Murasumoddai causeway and pumping to irrigate areas that would otherwise have to be supplied directly from IT. This water would otherwise flow along with Kanagarayan Aru to Elephant Pass Lagoon and be wasted to sea mainly on evaporation. The peninsula has no large water storage. but there are three cascaded large shallow lagoons that become dry due to evaporation in the dry months of July, August & September. Thus, causing saline deposits in the lagoon bed (sinks) due to salinity intrusion by capillary action and adversely affecting the water quality even in the following wet season. The part of the water saved and stored in IT (without building any expensive storage), is then released for suppressing capillary salination and Jaffna Water Supply (JWS) by avoiding expensive desalination options. Integrated Water Conservation and Trans basin diversion strategy will enhance agricultural and other ancillary projects like – stock supply, new rainfed paddy area come under irrigated supply, new horticulture development, lagoon peripheral Aquaculture development, hydropower, efficient use of green energy and enhanse the reliability of nearby irrigation areas supply systems. Conveyancing the use of the IT spill water occurring once every two years through a “Water Allocation Carryover Accounting System” will enormously benefit the JWS resource during the rainy season (Oct – Jan). This could be further enhanced by having an “Air space in IT” and potentially used for flood mitigation downstream in Killinochi Irrigation Area.

Keyphrases: Capillary, Carryover, Desalination, Salination, Waterswap, airspace

@booklet{EasyChair:7490,
  author    = {Balasingam Maniccavasagar and Sarvananthan Sarvaraja},
  title     = {Suppressing Capillary Salination and Reclaiming Land and Water Resources},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 7490},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2022}}