economics of on-farm development - Institute for Social and ...

The overall scenario suggests that the irrigation projects in the state could not
be effective in terms <strong>of</strong> stabilising the yield <strong>of</strong> paddy during the first and second
cropping seasons and expanding the area under irrigation during summer. Dhawan
(1988) points to the insufficient attention given for the irrigation <strong>of</strong> paddy during
summer (rabi) season 25 . In the given scenario, cultivation <strong>of</strong> the otherwise limited
paddy in the state could be sustained only through the effective implementation <strong>of</strong>
consolidation <strong>of</strong> landholdings. group farm management and assured supply <strong>of</strong> water
during summer.
5.3 Organisational aspects <strong>of</strong> irrigation development in Kerala
Having discussed the absence <strong>of</strong> one to one correspondence between irrigation and
agricultural de\elopment in the state. it may be relevant to examine the implications
<strong>of</strong> this on the performance <strong>of</strong> water institutions in the state. As a matter <strong>of</strong> fact, the
observed crop shift in favour <strong>of</strong> rainfed cash crops goes a long way in explaining
many <strong>of</strong> the organisational problems confronted by the irrigation sector in the state.
At the aggregate leveL the organisational issues such as capacity under-utilisation,
time and cost over runs and the resultant delay in completion <strong>of</strong> irrigation schemes
need a critical understanding and explanation in this backdrop. This would also
enable us to bring out the contrast that "why do the irrigation projects in the state
2~ While the yield effect <strong>of</strong> irrigatioll is quite low. the output impact (in the sense <strong>of</strong>
addition to rice output) can be substantial if irrigation is oriented towards sustaining
summer cropping <strong>of</strong> paddy (Dhawan. I9SS: 2659).
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