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

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is more obvious in canal irrigati<strong>on</strong>, due to the time required <strong>for</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the distributi<strong>on</strong> system as well as switching over from rainfed to irrigated<br />

agriculture involving major changes in techniques, which the <strong>farm</strong>ers take time<br />

to master. Moreover, poh:ntial utilisati<strong>on</strong> also depends <strong>on</strong> several variables,<br />

including, besides, the availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> distributi<strong>on</strong> networks, the volume <strong>and</strong><br />

seas<strong>on</strong>al pattern <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water availability, the losses in c<strong>on</strong>veyance, distributi<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

applicati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> fields, the extent to which the c<strong>on</strong>junctive use is developed <strong>and</strong><br />

the actual crop pattern <strong>on</strong> ground. In so far as the assumpti<strong>on</strong>s in respect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these<br />

parameters underlying the project design are not actually realised in full, there is<br />

bound to be divergence between the actual area irrigated <strong>and</strong> potential created<br />

(GOI. 2000: 2.290-0 I). Again. the plan document c<strong>on</strong>siders the reported gap as<br />

dubious as it does not give a correct picture <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> utilisati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> potential,<br />

mainly because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the reas<strong>on</strong> that the criteria! norms <strong>for</strong> reporting the data<br />

adopted by the States are not uni<strong>for</strong>m.<br />

Vaidyanathan (1999) c<strong>on</strong>siders capacity under-utilisati<strong>on</strong> in irrigati<strong>on</strong><br />

projects as an outcome <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> complementarity between the state<br />

initiatives in c<strong>on</strong>structing the main reservoir, main <strong>and</strong> branch canals <strong>and</strong><br />

distributaries up to outlets as well as the beneficiary ef<strong>for</strong>ts in c<strong>on</strong>structing field<br />

channels in their own fields necessary <strong>for</strong> irrigati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

2.2.2 Cost <strong>and</strong> time over runs in irrigati<strong>on</strong> <strong>development</strong><br />

The escalati<strong>on</strong> in cost <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>development</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects <strong>and</strong> the time lag<br />

involved in completi<strong>on</strong> are the other t\\O important problems widely discussed in<br />

the literature. A pi<strong>on</strong>eering analysis <strong>on</strong> the rise in costs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> multipurpose<br />

projects by the Expert Committee (GOI, 1973b) identifies the reas<strong>on</strong>s<br />

43

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