---
title: "Drip and sprinkler for hilly regions"
subject: "Irrigation and Drainage Engineering"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering:drip-sprinkler-hill-region"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/drip-sprinkler-hill-region
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Drip and sprinkler for hilly regions

Irrigation and Drainage Engineering · Chapter 1: Introduction

- Asked in: 2079 Jestha, 5 marks
- Video: [Sprinkler and Drip Irrigation methods](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N4nNDILJlg) — Kiran Jadhav
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/drip-sprinkler-hill-region
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/chapter-1

## Question

Why are drip and sprinkler methods considered the best alternative irrigation methods in the hilly region? Explain with its suitability.

## Short answer

Drip and sprinkler suit hills because no levelling needed, use scarce water efficiently (65-95%), are gravity-fed possible, avoid canal losses/landslides, fit small scattered terraces and high-value crops, and require less labour. Drip for orchards/vegetables; sprinkler for cereals/tea on sloping land.

## Answer

In the hills of Nepal, land is steep, terraces are small, water is scarce and springs are far, so surface canals are costly and inefficient. Drip and sprinkler methods match these conditions.

#### Reasons
1. **Steep and undulating land:** no levelling needed; water follows pipes, not the slope, so there is little erosion.
2. **Scarce water:** efficiency of 65-80% (sprinkler) and 85-95% (drip) allows the small spring or stream flow to irrigate a larger area.
3. **Gravity pressure:** the difference in elevation between the source and the field provides the required head, so a pump and energy are not needed (gravity-fed drip works at 1-2 bar).
4. **Small, scattered terraces:** pipes can be laid to any plot; no long canals.
5. **Pipes avoid seepage and landslide damage** that is common in hill canals.
6. **High-value crops:** vegetables, fruit and off-season crops (tomato, cauliflower, citrus, tea) fit the market and give returns.
7. **Light, shallow soils:** frequent small doses suit the low water holding capacity.
8. **Low labour requirement** in areas with male out-migration; fertigation is possible.

#### Suitability
- Drip: orchards (citrus, apple), vegetables, polyhouse, with clean water.
- Sprinkler: cereals, fodder, tea and coffee on sloping land with a water head.
- Need clean filtered water, capital subsidy, farmer training and local service.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Why are surface canals poor in Nepal's hills?
   A. Land is flat
   B. Water is abundant
   C. Steep land, small terraces, scarce water, costly and landslide-prone canals
   D. Soils are deep clay
   Answer: C. Pipes suit these conditions better. (Key point: Hill conditions)

2. How is pressure obtained for hill drip systems?
   A. Large diesel pumps
   B. Nuclear power
   C. No pressure needed at all
   D. Elevation difference between source and field gives head
   Answer: D. Gravity-fed drip works at 1-2 bar. (Key point: Gravity pressure)

3. Why do drip and sprinkler help in water-scarce hills?
   A. High efficiency lets small spring flow irrigate larger area
   B. They use more water
   C. They need big canals
   D. They store water in soil
   Answer: A. Efficiency 65-95%. (Key point: Water saving)

4. Why do frequent small doses suit hill soils?
   A. Hill soils are heavy clay
   B. Light shallow soils have low water holding capacity
   C. Hill soils hold huge water
   D. Crops need flooding
   Answer: B. Frequent small applications avoid percolation losses. (Key point: Light soils)

## Related in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

- [Surface methods; drip and sprinkler suitability](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Firrigation_and_drainage_engineering%3Asurface-methods-drip-sprinkler-suitability) — Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, chapter 1
- [Advantages of sprinkler and drip irrigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Firrigation_and_drainage_engineering%3Adrip-sprinkler-pros-cons) — Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, chapter 1, asked 3×
- [Drip and sprinkler irrigation with sketch](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Firrigation_and_drainage_engineering%3Adrip-sprinkler-sketch) — Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, chapter 1, asked 2×
- [When to use sprinkler irrigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Firrigation_and_drainage_engineering%3Asprinkler-situations-pros-cons) — Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, chapter 1
- [Short note: Design of hilly irrigation canals](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Firrigation_and_drainage_engineering%3Ahilly-canal-design-note) — Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, chapter 3

## Related in other subjects

- [Preferred source for hilly region](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fwater_supply_engineering%3Ahilly-region-source-preferred) — Water Supply Engineering, chapter 2
- [Transition curve in hilly region, 60 m radius](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3An-65c-tc-hilly) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 3