Indira Gandhi Canal

Abstract

This file contains a digital map of the Indira Gandhi Canal (India) in Google Earth KMZ format that was produced as part of The IBT Water Project at Auburn University. The Indira Gandhi Canal was primarily designed to support irrigation in the Thar Desert region of the state of Rajasthan in western India. Originally called the Rajasthan Canal, the project was renamed in 1984 in honor of the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Stage I of construction began in 1952 and was completed in 1983. This stage is described as consisting of a 204 km feeder canal and 189 km main canal (393 km total). Stage 2 extended the main canal an additional 256 km. Construction appears to be ongoing today as the extent of water distribution expands. As of 2021, the canal appears to feature approximately 200 diversions to secondary distribution canals of varying sizes and approximately 45 control gates to manage flow rates and assist in diverting water to the secondary canals. Metadata embedded in the KMZ file include author contact, Creative Commons License information, and list of references. See the project website (URL shortcut: aub.ie/ibtwater) for information about methods, data sources, additional digital IBT maps, Google Earth tips, and a glossary of key terms.