Major part of this state is hilly , because of this irrigation is not available on the total agricultural land.irrigation facility is only possible at that place where small channels are constructed . its called ‗gool‘ in uttarakhand.putting big obstructions in the way of river the water is turned into the gools. The total length of canals in uttara-khand is 11,346 km. 5,66,599 hectare arable land is irrigated area.
The main canals are upper ganga canal which emerges at haridwar and other sharda canal which emerges at banbasa. Projects for irrigation purposes :-
TEHRI DAM PROJECT: dam is being constructed at Tehri below the confluence of river Bhagirathi and its tributary Bhilangana. There is a provision to construct 260.5 metre high roch-fill dam from the river-bed.‘swami-ramtirtha sagar‘ which will be in the backside of the dam,will have the capacity of 32.2 billion cubic metre water and it will spread 45 km from Bhagirathi valley and 25 km from Bhilangana valley. The capacity of water in this reservoir will be 2,615 million cubic metre, consequently 7,400 million cubic metre water of upper ganga .from this collected water 2.70 lakh hectare area of ganga-yamuna doab will be irrigated and 340 megawatt hydraulic electricity will be generated at 90% .other dam constructed at koteshwar 22 km below tehri for continuous flow of water and it will generate 150 megawatt extra hydraulic electricity.
To this project, flood control,development of tourism,fisheries and 500 cusecs potable water will be provided to delhi.base is 27 metre deep and 1,100 metre long project has already completed and now kofer dam is being constructed to save the dam from the danger of flood.
EAST GANGA CANAL PROJECT: the main canal having capacity of 4850 cusecs and 48.55 km long has been constructed at the left side of newly constructed Bhim Gonda Top in haridwar. There is provision to construct five branches – Chandok ,Nageena , Nazeebabad ,Nahator and Alawalpur from main canal.length of these branches are 155.25 km
and the lengths of distribution system are 1488 km. the facility of irrigation to 105.00 thousand hectare paddy crop of bijnor and Moradabad .
UPPER GANGA CANAL : canal has been constructed from the right bank of ganga river near haridwar. Construction began in 1842 and finished in 1856. Main branches – maat branch , deoband and anoopshahar branch.irrigation for kharif crop .
JAMRANI DAM PROJECT: Terai and Bhabhar region of nainital is one of the fertile lands.due to the lack of irrigation facilities,the agriculture has not developed properly.seeing the problem of food and potable water and bring irrigation facilities , jamrani dam project in nainital under its first phase Gola barrage on Gola river near kathgodam . in the second phase construction of roller compacted concrete barrage are proposed.the irrigation facility for 60,600 hectare land will be available and 15 megawatt hydro-electricity will be generated.first phase is complete,the main dam could not be started.
SHARDA SUBSIDIARY PROJECT: main work will be taken according to this project are – 1,003 metre long dam on ghaghra,28 km long connecting canal .811 metre long dam on sharda river , 269 km long feeder canal , construction of 6,450 km long distribution system and construction of canal 2,570 km long.
Works are to be completed in five phases.first and second phases are complete.remaining three are going on.