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

conveyance loss <strong>of</strong> water, improving distributional efficiency with equity In
almost all the projects.
The prioritisation and implementation <strong>of</strong> programmes have also been
influenced by political and local dynamics. According to the government
guidelines and orders, only completed projects should be brought under CAD
programmes. But three partially commissioned projects, viz., Pamba, Periyar
Valley and Kuttiadi were included under the programme since 1992-93 and an
amount <strong>of</strong> about Rs. 26 crores was spent. Obviously, the targeted works in other
projects cannot get adequate funds and therefore, their implementation gets
delayed adding further to the alleged inefficiency in irrigation management. The
ad-hoc and unscientific way <strong>of</strong> implementing the OFD works. without preparing
systematic project reports and operational plans have led to increase In
transaction costs involved in the programmes. Furthermore, it has also led to
lesser productivity than what was expected. For instance, the mean yield <strong>of</strong>
summer irrigated paddy from demonstration plots in four projects, viz., Walayar,
Malampuzha, Peechi and Vazhani, was lesser than those from the normal plots.
Such results tend to demotivate farmers from undertaking scientific OFD and
application <strong>of</strong> optimum doses <strong>of</strong> yield-enhancing inputs like fertilisers and
pesticides. It will have a negative impact on modern farm technology adoption by
the farmers.
Water Users' Associations (WUAs) are to be gIven subsidy to meet
managerial and other operational costs In the formative years. But, it IS
unfortunate that only 34 per cent <strong>of</strong> the associations formed as <strong>of</strong> 1997 had
received management subsidy. Further, the amount allocated by the government
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