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

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currant prices prevailing during various plan periods, unadjusted <strong>for</strong> inflati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

the operati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> maintenance costs are kept outside its purview 6 .<br />

C<strong>on</strong>trary to the c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>al noti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> small irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems being cost<br />

effective, Dhawan (1989) states that 'surface irrigati<strong>on</strong> works may score<br />

decisively over well irrigati<strong>on</strong>, possibly by a margin <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 3:2. He points out that the<br />

inclusi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> private investments by the <strong>farm</strong>ers at the <strong>farm</strong> level itself would<br />

make the minor systems cost-ineffective. Moreover, the minor works reqUire<br />

energy <strong>for</strong> countering the pull gravity, involving huge operati<strong>on</strong>al cost.<br />

2.2.3 Problems in water distributi<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> management<br />

The problem <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inequitable distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water across the canal comm<strong>and</strong>s has<br />

been widely debated <strong>and</strong> researched (Wade 1982a; Ali, 1986; Mitra, 1986, Rath<br />

<strong>and</strong> Mitra 1989). It has been pointed out that the inequity in the distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

water is caused by violati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cropping pattern by the <strong>farm</strong>ers, resulting in<br />

scarcity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water in the tail-end. The c<strong>on</strong>sequences <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inequitable distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

water in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> productivity differentials leading to income inequalities as well<br />

as high cropping intensity in the head reaches have been highlighted by Lint<strong>on</strong><br />

(1982) <strong>and</strong> Padhi <strong>and</strong> Suryavanshi (1982). The power theory <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

water has also been indicated as a source <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inequality, whereby rich <strong>farm</strong>ers<br />

with large holdings arc favourably placed in the head reaches <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> canal comm<strong>and</strong>s<br />

growing water intensive crops when the poor small <strong>farm</strong>ers are left at the mercy<br />

• In the study by Gulati, Svendsen <strong>and</strong> Choudhury (1995). an attempt has been made to<br />

capture the capital cost per ha in real terms in the case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> major, medium irrigati<strong>on</strong><br />

schemes In India.<br />

47

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