Reforming Irrigation Management

Amidst water scarcity projections, climate change challenges and the contesting demands for its use water management has assumed criticality. Set in an agricultural country like India where irrigation continues to consume more than 90% of its water resources, effective and efficient management of its water resources holds serious implications for the growth trajectory of a nation poised on the threshold of achieving enviable economic growth in the comity of nations. Within the country, Andhra Pradesh as the pioneering state initiated new generation governance reforms, established milestones and instituted fresh outlook on irrigation management enabling the sector take up the 21st century challenges of water management. The passing of the historic Andhra Pradesh Farmer’s Management of Irrigation Systems Act 1997, establishment of a three-tier Farmer’s Organisations all over the state, and financial assistance from an international agency heralded the state into the select category of states spearheading paradigmatic changes in irrigation management in the country.

The Irrigation Reforms in Andhra Pradesh followed a path setting trajectory containing several significant measures culminating in crucial outputs. The reforms undertaken within a welfare perspective strived to usher efficiency and effectiveness by including issues of equity and social good. Reaching beyond departmental practices, taking cues from success stories, incorporating learning’s from past experiences tempered with a spirit of innovation, the efforts at refurbishing irrigation and PIM in AP since 2003 established new mechanisms and approaches set to transform rules of irrigation management in the state. 

Contextualizing PIM to Indian conditions was fraught with complications as changing the Governance Paradigm in Irrigation Sector needed to battle not just entrenched interests and stakeholders but also had to device means of conferring responsibility on new partners and actors. Sensitizing and involving the water user community, for long used to lax and minimal regulatory intervention because of its political sensitivity and electoral implications was a major challenge. The consolidation and taking of the PIM process on to the next generational stage in all the 10,800 WUAs spread across the state needed to counter and contextually address expanding range of emerging administrative, financial, structural and physical challenges. Selective borrowing, on-job learning, innovating, contextualizing and spontaneity together with textbook managerial strategizing carefully chaperoned the irrigation management reform process to its current enviable position.

The intricacies and travails associated in the elaboration of PIM expounded and established workable instruments of intervention and best practices capable of being replicated and used for facilitating PIM elsewhere in the country. This compilation provides insights and introduction to the varied instruments in the administrative and a practical explication of PIM. This tool kit intends to throw light on the policy options utilized, administrative alternatives used, technological tools adopted, the implementation arrangement chosen and the structures and processes selected for establishing the ethos of PIM in the state.   

These books represents an effort of I&CAD to bring together its experience in the reform process which for the sake of clarity been thematically divided into three broad sections of Institutional Reforms; Participatory Irrigation Management; and Irrigation Performance Monitoring Systems containing its related interventions and tools of operations. These details can be of interest and use to policy practitioners, irrigation departments, individuals and organisations involved in exposition of PIM, policy think tanks and researchers involved in the study and implementation of PIM at their levels.

The first section – ‘Reforming Water Management’ - gives an overarching introduction to the policy framework, the structural arrangements, institutional mechanisms adopted to create an environment conducive for taking the PIM process on to addressing second generational issues. The process, financial and technological instruments adopted can function only within the progressive policy and the administrative sphere that the institutions establish. The key strength of the institutional reforms in the state has been the balance that it maintains between conventional theoretical moorings and contemporary demands.  Changes like the water policy, strengthening of inter departmental coordination through the creation of the Water Management Committee, the successful strengthening of Participatory Irrigation Management,  systematic and professional capacity building of the Farmers by WALAMTARI, organisational planning and support provided by a strengthened multi-disciplinary I&CAD, and efforts at involving farmers in irrigated area assessment, tax assessment and demand, tax collection, and O&M works represented mechanisms and measures to bring focus on the farmer and through his empowerment bring development in the rural incomes and its economy.

The second booklet focus is on – ‘Participatory Irrigation Management’ – PIM which has been the preferred option for bridging the gap between the potential created and utilized, improve water use efficiency, enhance agriculture productivity, improve livelihoods, regularize O&M and increase the share of contribution of irrigation to the economy in Andhra Pradesh. For the first time in the country  PIM is being carried out in a mammoth scale through the establishment of 10800 WUAs, 323 Distributaries and 23 Project Committees 60 Project Committees in Major, Medium and Minor irrigation projects involving 60 lakh farmers covering an area of 98 lakh acres. The process of consolidation of PIM to ensure its sustainability has been a difficult and complex exercise involving experimentation, elaboration and building of processes, institutions, strategies and legalities. This has spanned across subjects like capacity building, irrigated area assessment, tax demand, plough back of finances, agricultural support systems, action plan preparation, performance monitoring, water audit and benchmarking etc. Varied actions like the measures, methods, interventions, options initiated on these themes are dealt in the second section of this book.

The third section on ‘Performance Management and Impact Assessment’ of Irrigation Projects details the innovations and customisation of technological tools used in irrigation reform process. It will show how the use of mobile and web technology, satellite remote sensing and GMIS, field surveys on hydrological and socio-economic aspects and participatory assessment tools for performance monitoring of irrigation projects and converting the analyses into simplified spatial and graphical output have  been used to support farmer organisations and field engineers for preparing seasonal action plan and guiding actions for improving irrigation system performance. Some of the tools discussed are MIS for water demand and supply in K C Canal, Mobile technology - Reservoir Storage Monitoring System, Mobile technology - Canal Network Flow Monitoring System, Satellite Remote Sensing based estimation of irrigated area, Water Audit and Bench marking, Comprehensive Irrigation project performance management and Participatory Self Assessment by WUAs.

Water Users Association (WUA) - Training Modules:

To enable periodic and routine capacity building and training of WUA members about PIM and the processes in PIM, the I&CAD team developed 6 Training Modules on a range of issues covering recent changes incorporated in irrigation management. The department – the activity now being undertaken by WALAMTARI – devises a seasonal capacity building calendar which proposes to conduct training to almost all WUA members, WUA Managing Committee Members, and Sub-Committee members to enable them understand and play a more meaningful role in irrigation management activities. The trainings will be provided to the WUA Managing Committee and Sub-Committee members of all major & medium irrigation projects. They are carried out locally either at the Sub-Division or Division level by the Competent Authorities and the Training Coordinator. These training modules for the sake of convenience have been printed in English and Telugu and cover issues like WUA roles and responsibilities, functions and powers of financial management committee and the monitoring and evaluation committee etc.,. These modules together provide information and understanding about the APFMIS Act, the changes and methods of working, the structures and processes of WUA working. Copies of these modules both in English and Telugu are provided in the links below

S.No.	Name of the Training Module	Participants	Versions
1	Awareness Campaign at WUA Level	WUA Members	English / Telugu
2	WUA Roles & Responsibilities	WUA Managing Committee	English / Telugu
3	Works Sub-Committee	Sub-Committee	English / Telugu
4	Water Management Committee	Sub-Committee	English / Telugu
5	Financial Management Committee	Sub-Committee	English / Telugu
6	Monitoring & Evaluation Committee	Sub-Committee	English / Telugu

Work Books for Farmers Organizations:

As the farmers’ organizations are required to play a major role in efficient management of irrigation systems to increase agriculture productivity they have been assigned an important responsibility of carrying out irrigated area assessment, crop water requirement and water indent, water tax demand assessment, collection, planning and implementing of O&M of the irrigation system as a part of the irrigation project management cycle. Moreover, all the activities needed to be planned and executed within a stipulated time schedule. To facilitate these activities among the farmers’ organizations I&CAD Department has developed a number of Work Books which delineate the formats, process steps and sequence for the preparation of action plans for the different levels of farmers’ organizations covering activities all activities.

It was designated that training of farmers’ organizations as described above will be carried out using the Work Books. Work books have been developed and published for the farmers’ organizations for guiding them in management of the irrigation projects. The Work Books contain the process steps, the sequence of activities and the formats for preparation of action plan for the different levels of the farmers’ organizations (like WUA, DC& PC).  An irrigation project management cycle has been identified and established, which the FOs are being trained to follow and adopt. This has meant a complete decentralization of the process of planning, implementation and review to the FOs level with the department supporting it at every level. The entire process is scheduled to start before each cropping season. A workbook containing formats for entering of required data under clearly demarcated heads has been generated to collect relevant information for the preparation of the action plan. Information of the assessment of the irrigated area generated through walk-through by the managing committee of the WUAs of the Kharif and Rabi seasons during standing crop and the unauthorized irrigated area are reported and entered in the WUA work book.

The cycle starts with the review by FOs of the performance of the past season and preparation of a list of the priority of the maintenance works to be undertaken, the water schedule and the expected water demand for their area which is to be recorded in the Work Book. The proposed plan is than reviewed and approved by the Project Committee and the Chief Engineer that makes it eligible for receiving funds from the tax re-plough funds at the disposal of FOs and other additional government funds if any.  The FOs are also to actively participate in water release scheduling and maintenance works. Training, informed support and regular encouragement has gone a long way in the successful implementation of this cyclical operation all over the state.

S.No.	Name of the Work Book	Users	Version
1	Water Users Association(WUA) Work Book	WUA Managing Committee	Telugu
2	Distributory Committee(DC) Work Book	Distributory Committee	Telugu
3	Project Committee Work Book-Major Irrigation	Project Committee	Telugu
4	Project Committee Work Book-Medium Irrigation	Project Committee	Telugu

WUA Self Assessment Tool:

The WUA Self Assessment tool has been developed by I&CAD Department to assess the performance of a WUA on 15 identified indicators related to their roles and responsibilities. The underlying principle of the WUA Self Assessment tool is to assist the WUAs to understand their roles and responsibilities by assessing the status of their functioning. The Participatory Self Assessment (PSA) tool was developed to assist the WUAs for assessing their performance during the previous season and plan for the next season addressing the issues noted. A GMIS database of all WUAs and their performance with the details of the irrigation infrastructure is also created at CAD using the feed back data from the WUAs. This tool is also used to create awareness among the WUA members, plan remedial measures and to empower them to function sustainably. It is proposed to use the WUA Self Assessment tool to facilitate the WUAs to self assess themselves and monitor their performance.

S.No.	Name of the Tool	Version
1	WUA Self Assessment Poster-1	English / Telugu
2	WUA Self Assessment Parameters & Indicators Poster-2	English / Telugu
3	Operational Guidelines	English / Telugu
4	Importance of Parameters & Indicators	English / Telugu
5	Reporting Formats	English / Telugu

Posters and Government Orders:

Many of the PIM process regarding financial, administrative, technical and procedural innovations and changes were brought about in Andhra Pradesh through the issuing of requisite Government Orders. These orders contain details about works categorization, procedures, competent authorities, the rules and regulations, and limits in each of the processes and methods that the reforms introduced. Posters and pamphlets explaining and containing details about few significant procedures and regulations were printed and made available to WUAs, DCs and PCs to be distributed to members and other stakeholders. The G.O 46 and G.O 96 were two significant orders containing the changed rules and regulations and procedures regarding several regular and routine activities. The G.O. 46 specifying and detailing the designated method of conducting Operations and Maintenance by WUAs, categorization, prioritization, preparation of estimates of works, administrative and technical methods,  quality control and payment and the G. O. 96 laying the procedure for conducting irrigated area assessment, rising tax demand and collection, tax re-plough were especially focused upon to increase awareness and familiarize stakeholders about the process of taking an active part in the planning, designing, implementation and monitoring of O&M activities. Links to these two crucial G.Os are provided below.  

S.No.	Name of the Poster	Version
1	WUA Self Assessment Poster-1	Telugu
2	Poster on G.O. Ms. No. 46	Telugu
3	Poster on G.O. Ms. No. 96	Telugu

Technical Bulletins:

Incorporating focus on agricultural extension activities has become an integral part of the reforms unfolding in the state. A multi-disciplinary focus has sought to create networks and linkages between irrigation and related activities like agriculture, livelihoods, agri-market etc. to lay foundations of an integrated water resources management. Increasing agricultural productivity and establishing water use efficiency have become the thrust areas of water management reforms. The department has created a multi-disciplinary team consisting of agricultural specialists, established networks with state Agricultural Universities and Agricultural Department, opened channels of interaction with agricultural experts and Non-Governmental Organizations, and facilitated a system of Farmer’s Field Schools to propagate information about improved and preferred agricultural practices to farmers to enhance agricultural productivity in irrigated agricultural lands. In this context, the team in I&CAD in consultation with agricultural experts periodically identify and publish a list of the best practices and methods that can improve yield or result in productivity enhancement. These best practices are published and made available to all stakeholders and the details also popularized through the FFS and the periodic interactions that the team has with farmers, WUA, DC, PC functionaries.

S. No	Name of the Bulletins	Version
1	Best Management Practices in Irrigated Crops.	Telugu
2	Deficiency symptoms of important micro nutrients in major field crops-Their corrective measures.	Telugu
3	Procedure for collection of Soil sampling in command areas.	Telugu
4	Key technological interventions for productivity enhancement of Kharif paddy in Krishna Delta System (KDS).	Telugu
5	Key technological interventions for productivity enhancement of Kharif in paddy command areas.	Telugu
6	Efficient crop and water management practices under newly developed tanks in Adilabad district.	Telugu