The World Bank/WBI’s CBNRM Initiative

Case Received: February 17, 1998

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Two Case Studies on the Role of Water Users’ Associations in Irrigation Management in Maharashtra, India

Disappointing performances of government owned and operated irrigation systems have compelled a number of countries to transfer rights and responsibilities for management of irrigation systems from government agencies to private or local persons or organizations. The Philippines (Wijayaratna and Vermillion 1994, Svendsen 1992), Indonesia (Soenarno 1995), China (Xu Zhifang 1995) and Sri Lanka (Ratnayake 1995) in Asia, Mexico (Gorriz et al 1995) and Colombia (Garcia-Betancourt 1994) in Latin America, and others such as New Zealand (Farley 1994) and Turkey (Devlet su Isleri et al 1996), have made major efforts in this direction. Transferring responsibilities has come to be seen as a way to reduce pressures on thinly stretched government finances while at the same time improving irrigated agricultural production and ensuring the long term sustainability of irrigation systems (Geijer et al 1996, Vermillion 1991). The intention is to encourage efforts by individuals to take responsibility for the management of resources in the belief that individuals have greater stake and better information for making efficient resource allocations (Brewer et al 1997).

In India, too, increasing user participation in the management of irrigation systems is being tried as a means to reduce pressures on government finances, improve performance of irrigated agriculture, and ensure sustainability of irrigation systems. Permitting farmers to play a greater role in India represents a major shift away from the idea that the government is responsible for taking care of farmers. This change is consistent with other changes being carried out in management of natural resources such as the proposed changes in forest policy to enable joint management of forests. The Government of India has supported since the mid-1980’s the various moves toward irrigation management transfer in the states through programs and policies such as the Command Area Development, National Water Policy (MOWR 1987), and the Participatory Irrigation Management Program. However, because irrigation is a state subject, the states have no obligation to heed these policies.

Maharashtra state in India, has formulated a clearly defined and codified policy, called participatory management, of promoting transfer of irrigation management responsibilities from the government to farmers. This policy, although partly motivated by outsiders and partly based on ideas originating from outsiders, is strongly based on a long history in Maharashtra of respect for farmers’ water resources management abilities.

Rainfall varies widely in Maharashtra with much of the state getting 500 mm or less annually. Maharashtra is still constructing new irrigation systems and expanding existing ones to make use of undeveloped irrigation potential. Maharashtra’s canal systems are managed by the Irrigation Department. The basic irrigation management approach is shejpali although alternatives exist. Under shejpali, every farmer is required to apply for irrigation every season, indicating the crops to be irrigated and the area for each crop. The irrigation agency can then approve or reject the application.

Irrigation officials insist that the primary concern behind encouraging irrigation management transfer is to improve water use efficiency, a major concern in Maharashtra where most canal systems serve only a fraction of the planned command. Improved productivity is also mentioned as a benefit as is reduced work because of elimination of shejpali.

The policy Government of Maharashtra is expressed in the Cooperative Water User’s Association Guidelines (GOM 1994). Accordingly, the Irrigation Department has adopted a policy to

• create Water Users’ Association (WUA) at minor canal level (average command of 500 hectares),
• transfer O&M responsibilities for the minor and smaller channels to the WUA,
• allocate water to the WUAs through 5 year agreements,
• charge WUAs for water on the basis of the volume actually taken (volumetric pricing).

This new system will do away with shejpali. Maharashtra is hoping that farmers will organize themselves to demand transfer and has undertaken a public relations campaign to inform farmers about transfer. In addition, they encourage NGOs and Irrigation Department officers to help farmers create WUAs. The state offers incentives for farmers, including relaxation of legal crop restrictions and restrictions on conjunctive use of surface and ground water, channel repairs, rebates for prompt payment of irrigation fees, volumetric fees lower than crop-area fees, and maintenance grants. The Irrigation Department monitors the progress of transfer throughout the state. As of March 1995, the Irrigation Department reported transfer of O&M functions to 75 WUAs and another 205 WUAs in the process of formation in major systems. However, these WUAs cover less than 1% of the canal commands in the state.

Water User Association in Minor 7, Mula Project (Datta)

Background

Chanda village Ahmednagar district is a drought prone area and before the construction of the Mula dam, farmers practised rainfed agriculture. The Mula dam was completed in 1969 and two canals off taking from the dam on the left and right were expected to provide irrigation to 10,100 hectares and 70,700 hectares respectively. Minor No. 7 is one of the canals taking off from the right bank canal at a distance of 42.6 km from the canal head. The irrigable command of this minor according to the project design was 361 hectares. Thirty per cent of Chanda's cultivable area falls within the command of this minor. The minor has a length of 2.2 km and 13 outlets. The canal is 1 km away from the village.

Irrigation from Mula right bank canal began in 1971-72. Though there was an increase in the cropping intensity, the actual area irrigated was much less than that planned. This was partly because sugarcane was cultivated in a much larger area than envisaged. Also the canal losses (all canals were unlined) were higher than those estimated.

In 1980 rotational water distribution system was introduced in the Mula irrigation system, following a successful pilot project introduced in 1978 in the Girnar command. Even as this experiment was underway, the policy makers were considering other interventions to improve water use efficiency and water distribution, particularly in the tertiary levels and tail ends of the system. The National Water Policy of 1987 also laid considerable emphasis on farmer participation in the management of irrigation systems. In this context, the Centre for Applied System Analysis in Development (CASAD) and the Government of Maharashtra decided to initiate a pilot experiment in the Mula irrigation system. During their visit to the subdivisional office in Ghodegaon, the CASAD representatives met an influential farmer, Mr. Shete, from Chanda village who had come there to submit his application. He also participated in the discussion and they together decided to begin the experiment in Minor No. 7.

Farmers in the command of minor 7, distressed by the cumbersome procedure to get water, unreliability of water supply, inequity in water distribution, limitation on area under sugarcane, unfair practices, frequent conflicts and water logging problems readily agreed to form the WUA. Organizers of CASAD received help from the CADA authority and government administrators. They began collecting share capital at the rate of Rs 25 per 37 gunthas of land. One hundred and fourteen members paid the required share capital and an application was made to the Registrar of Cooperative societies for registering the Datta Cooperative Water Distribution Society in February 1987. The society received its registration certificate two years later in February 1989. In June 1989, the society signed an agreement with the irrigation department to receive water on volumetric basis and began functioning from 1 July 1989. The WUA was expected to maintain and repair the minor and also was responsible for water distribution. The quantity of water to be provided to the society was fixed seasonwise to irrigate 94 hectares in kharif; 120 hectares in rabi and 62 hectares in hot weather season. The volume of water was fixed at 63.9 million cubic feet. The irrigation department promised to carry out the necessary repairs to Minor 7 and the society began functioning even before these were carried out.

Since the inception of the society up to 1994-95, the membership of the society has increased from 114 to 203. The net command area has also been expanded from 119 hectares to 261 hectares and the gross irrigated area has increased by 30% from 257 hectares in 1989-90 to 460 hectares in 1994-95.

Since the WUA's establishment, major changes have taken place in the cropping pattern in the command of the WUA. The area under sugarcane has increased from 15% to more than 50% of the command area. The area under wheat has come down from 30% to 15% of the command area, and the area under oilseeds has also reduced substantially from about 35% of the command area to less than 3% of the command area in 1994-95.

The society's income from water charges has increased marginally over the years. The society could earn substantial profit during the first 4 years. The profit in the 5th year came down drastically largely due to withdrawal of management subsidy.

While society has been prompt in making payment to the ID and has invariably availed the 5% discount for timely payment its experience in recovering water charges from farmers has not been quite satisfactory. The maximum recovery rate was 85% during 1992-93 and has averaged 75% in the past. The society can be financially viable even without subsidies and grants from the government. This viability is critically dependent on the ability of the society to recover the water charges from members in a timely manner.

Background

To use the high flows of Bhima - a tributary of Krishna river - during monsoon, a dam was built in 1980 near village Ujjani located in Madha taluka of Solapur district. On its left bank canal there is a small village, Shevare, served by minor no. 10. Even though the village is located at the head reach of the main canal, reliability of water supply as well as equity in water distribution was poor. Small and tail end farmers had greater difficulty in getting water. Due to the restriction on area under sugarcane farmers could not grow the most attractive crop. Farmers of this village realized the need for a cooperative society for water distribution after Siddheshwar Water Distribution Society started functioning successfully nearby. An ex-police patel of the village took interest in organizing farmers.

With the help of the irrigation department, farmers organized the Laxmi Narasimha Canal Water Distribution Cooperative Society, Shevare in 1991. The society started water distribution activities in 1992-93.

A total of 93 members contributed Rs 50 each towards share capital at the time of registration of the society. It now has 100 members and the membership has been stable. The society obtains water from the irrigation department on volumetric basis and supplies water to its members on crop area basis. According to the agreement between the irrigation department and the society, the society gets 0.77, 0.86 and 0.62 MCM of water during kharif, rabi and summer, respectively. The society is allowed to draw unused quota of water from the previous season in the same irrigation year.

Since WUA's establishment, significant changes in the cropping pattern have taken place in its irrigable command area of 168.96 hectares. Notable change has been in the area under sugarcane that has increased from 15 hectares before WUA to 65 hectares at present. Sugarcane has replaced mainly cereals such as jowar and bajra and oilseeds such as sunflower and groundnut.

The society gets 5 per cent discount from the irrigation department for prompt payment of water charges. The society charges its members the government water rates on crop area basis. In 1994-95 the society also levied Rs 25 per hectare to meet the increasing repair and maintenance expenses. The society gets a maintenance grant of Rs 20 per hectare. The society is also entitled to get Rs 100, Rs 100 and Rs 75 per hectare management grant for the first three years. The society collects 50 per cent of the water charges for the area irrigated by the wells during rabi in the command area and 25 percent during summer. The society is financially viable and its viability depends primarily on the difference in the water rates between volumetric and area basis, seasonwise rates and cropping pattern, water use efficiency and recovery of water charges by the society. The society has been collecting all its dues from farmers and paid its dues to the department in time and availed discounts.

Very preliminary results indicate that, in the proper situations, participatory management leads to significant increases in the efficiency of water use and the value of irrigated agricultural production. The significant outcomes observed by us at these sites for farmers are increased availability of water, improved reliability of supply and flexibility in cropping pattern which have enabled them to make shifts in cropping pattern towards high value crops. Farmers have reported some improvement in yields for the crops that were cultivated earlier also. Another significant benefit to farmers is the considerable saving in time to obtain water and reduction in hassles to pay for water. There has also been a more equitable water distribution and therefore a reduction in conflicts. This in turn has lead to more understanding and goodwill in the farming community. Reduction in the area water logged is also noticed in Minor 7. Farmers are spending more on repair and maintenance and the physical structures are in good condition. Willful damage to the structure has reduced considerably. WUAs have devised and adopted water distribution rules most suitable to the local conditions. These rules are pragmatic and ensure equity.

The irrigation agency has had to make additional investments in improving physical system condition before handing over to farmers for water distribution. They have also had to provide management subsidy and repair and maintenance grants to the WUAs. The significant benefits to the agencies have been improvement in the recovery of water charges, improvements in irrigation efficiency, reduction in seepage losses and reduction in time spent in water distribution, conflict resolutions and recovery of water charges.

Transfer of rights and control over water related resources with the implied expectation that they have to live with the consequences of their management appears to be the key to making users effectively manage their resources. Users maintain the physical structure better when substantial responsibilities are transferred to them. The equity in water distribution also improves when WUAs distribute water.

Some preliminary indications are that the shift to volumetric pricing of water is beginning to make farmers think more seriously about conservation and about the value of water. Therefore, volumetric pricing coupled with improved physical conditions and increased reliability of water supply will help in increasing the value of agricultural production and the efficiency of water use. Although it is still very early in the change process, Maharashtra offers a model of how irrigation management transfer can be successfully implemented in India.

Brewer, J., Kolavalli, S., Kalro, A. H., Naik, G., Ramnarayan, S., Raju, K. V. and Sakthivadivel, R. 1997. Irrigation Management Transfer in India: Policies, Processes and Performance, Report, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and International Irrigation Management Institute, Colombo.

Devlet su Isleri, Economic Development Institute and International Irrigation Management Institute. 1996 Assessment of IMT in Turkey, paper presented for the International Seminar on Participatory Irrigation Management, Antalya, Turkey, 10-17 April 1996.

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