People's participation in Command Area Development - experience and research issues
Singh, K.K.
National seminar on water management the key to developing agriculture: 443-464
1988
Document Number: 499113
The question of people's participation in irrigation management, particularly in large irrigation projects, is raised in the context of the Command Area Development authorities, now in operation since 1974. The case of farmers' committees in the Pochampad Project, Andhra Pradesh, is discussed to show how farmers' involvement was sought. The strategy adopted for training farmers and Government officials and the extent to which irrigation committees succeed in performing the functions expected of them is discussed. The evolution of the system of administration for working with farmers is also presented and the impact of the irrigation committees on better water utilization and on agricultural production is assessed. Finally, six research issues are identified. These are: assessment of the contribution of the people's participation in better water utilization; factors contributing to the institutionalization and viability of farmers' organizations for managing irrigation; linking irrigation committees with the community and the government; incentives for institutionalizing irrigation organizations; potential of joint management forums between farmers and Government officials for irrigation management; and the role of the Government in creating and sustaining farmers' committees. The task of involving farmers in large-scale irrigation can be helped if experience gained is properly documented for future use.