Irrigation
Irrigation is one of the most important functions of the primary canal network, as it enables the distribution of water from the Tisa River into the central parts of Banat. According to project plans, the primary canal network should supply water for the irrigation of approximately 300,000 hectares in Banat. The intake of Tisa water in this region is carried out by gravity.
However, the development of irrigation systems along the primary canal network has progressed slowly, and only a small portion of the designed capacity is currently being used. Agriculture is still not fully prepared for extensive irrigation and requires additional support from the broader economy of Serbia and the former Yugoslavia.
In recent years, especially after several dry seasons, irrigation has gained importance: existing systems are being used more intensively, new systems are being introduced, and design projects for future systems are underway. In 1994, the Irrigation Development Program for the “Danube” Water Area was adopted, which also includes the northern Banat region.
Despite this, the construction of irrigation systems along the canal network remains limited. The number of existing systems is small, they cover modest areas, and water consumption is minimal. In northern Banat, particularly around Kikinda, there are more significant irrigation systems. In the municipality of Novi Bečej, irrigation is still scarce: around 600 ha are irrigated near Novo Miloševo, while only about 100 ha are irrigated around Novi Bečej. Irrigation on private land is almost nonexistent, even though irrigation fees are symbolic.
Fisheries
The development of fisheries along the primary canal network includes commercial and sport fishing, as well as fish farming in ponds.
Sport fishing is highly active and organized through anglers’ associations, while commercial fishing is significantly less developed. Fish ponds located along the canal network use canal water for filling, refreshing, and draining.
Water pollution in certain sections of the canal network has become increasingly pronounced and negatively affects fisheries. In the municipality of Novi Bečej, there are no fish ponds along the primary canal network, although sport fishing is widespread. Along the Kikinda Canal, downstream from Kikinda, the number of anglers is decreasing due to deteriorating water quality.
In Novi Bečej, within the primary canal network, there is a small experimental pond that produces table carp in mesh cages, but its production capacity is still modest.
Industrial Water Supply
Although many settlements are located along the primary canal network, none of them use canal water for industrial purposes. Most processing industries rely on drinking water. However, some sugar factories use canal water—for example, the sugar refinery in Nova Crnja has been using water from the Kikinda Canal for many years in its technological processes.
Discharge of Used Water and Water Quality in the Primary Canal Network
The system was designed to allow pre-treated municipal and industrial wastewater to be discharged into the primary canal network, at a quality level suitable for reuse by other users. However, wastewater discharged from settlements and industries, as well as water flowing in from cross-border streams, is often so polluted that it compromises water quality along several sections.
As a multipurpose system, the primary canal network is exposed to numerous factors that affect water quality:
– the quality of the Tisa River at the intake point,
– overall hydrological conditions,
– pollution levels in cross-border watercourses,
– the quality of discharged wastewater and surplus internal waters.
Industrial centers and cross-border polluted streams are the main contributors to deteriorating water quality. Much of the discharged water is untreated or insufficiently treated, directly degrading canal water quality. The Zlatica stream, for example, has been repeatedly affected by pollution since 1980 and today is considered a permanently polluted watercourse.
To alleviate pollution, significantly larger volumes of Tisa water are often diverted into the canal network than users require, in order to dilute contaminants. However, the only long-term solution is the construction of wastewater treatment facilities.
According to current regulations, most canals in the primary canal network are classified as Class II waters, although actual quality often deviates due to numerous influencing factors. The Kikinda Canal receives polluted water from the Zlatica stream and wastewater from the town and local industry, and long-term monitoring shows a decline in oxygen balance and increased ammonia levels.
Because of this situation, wastewater disposal is becoming one of the most critical challenges in operating and maintaining the canal network.
The local economy in Novi Bečej treats its wastewater, and a municipal sewer system exists for sanitary effluents. All treated and polluted waters are pumped into the Main Canal and then carried further toward the Tisa and the Danube.
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