Gate Automation for Closed Loop Control of Distributary Irrigation Canals in the Indus Basin

Developing countries are facing scarcity in water resources due to inefficient water management practices. Current methods for water control are based on supply rather than demand. Due to the manual nature of the current system, there is a lot of wastage of water and human error often results in flooding of the fields. Water theft is an additional problem in the developing countries. This paper aims to control water level in irrigation channels especially in the context of Pakistan´s irrigation network and proposes an appropriate demand response solution, catering to the needs of the end user. To achieve this purpose, a Gate Automation & Control Module (GACM) has been designed and implemented. The module is a deployable and scalable solution that can be coupled with any of the existing canal gates to regulate downstream water level with minimum involvement of active labor. Experimental results for water level setpoint control at Khaira Distributary off Main BRB Canal, Lahore are added to validate the usefulness of GACM.