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

created. According to the Central Water Commission. under normal
circumstances. 71 per cent <strong>of</strong> the water released from the reservoir was lost in
transit. In the absence <strong>of</strong> adoption <strong>of</strong> OFD by the farmers. the field application
losses tend to be much higher. This. in turn. would adversely affect the
sustainability <strong>of</strong> the resource base and the farming systems based on it.
Given the problems and constraints faced by the irrigation sector in the
post-independence period. the policy initiatives are continued to increase the
positive gain. particularly from large storage dams. from irrigation. For instance.
in the Ninth Plan, emphasis has been laid on: a) improving water use efficiency
by progressive reduction in conveyance and application losses; b) strengthening
the CADP, institutional reforms and promoting farmers' involvement in
irrigation management; c) expediting completion <strong>of</strong> projects started during the
pre-
and post-Fifth Plan periods: d) restoration and modernisation <strong>of</strong> old
irrigation systems which were executed during the pre-independence period and
after that; e) introduction <strong>of</strong> rational pricing <strong>of</strong> irrigation water; f) concrete steps
towards comprehensive and integrated development <strong>of</strong> natural water resources,
taking into account the possibility <strong>of</strong> inter-basin transfer <strong>of</strong> surplus water; g)
promoting participatory irrigation management; h) encouraging conjunctive use;
and i) accelerating the development and utilisation <strong>of</strong> groundwater.
The escalation in costs and gestation are the two important operational
constraints in irrigation develupment in India. It is reported that by the end <strong>of</strong>
1996-97,362 major. 1081 medium and a multitude <strong>of</strong> minor irrigation projects
had been undertaken with an investment <strong>of</strong> Rs. 80000 crores. Of these. 200 major
projects and 841
medium irrigation projects have been completed, the
22