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

among their members; c) insisting that these groups assume responsibility for
maintenance and ensuring that users pay for the cost <strong>of</strong> providing them; d)
vesting the powers for regulating conj unctive use <strong>of</strong> groundwater in the outlet
command to the respective user groups; and e) direct participation <strong>of</strong> user groups
and their representatives in the management <strong>of</strong> the system with autonomy to
decide, monitor and enforce operational rules at all levels <strong>of</strong> the system to levy
and collect water rates and apply them for better operations <strong>of</strong> their system.
The case for efficiency in water use emanates from the fact that already a
large portion <strong>of</strong> irrigation potential is exploited and the scope for new systems is
limited. The main source <strong>of</strong> incremental water supplies will thus have to come
from saving water through demand management and more efficient use <strong>of</strong>
existing water supplies. Dick and Mendoza (1996) focus on the comparative
analysis <strong>of</strong> three types <strong>of</strong> alternative water allocation mechanisms, VIZ., a)
administrative allocation; b) user-managed allocation; and c) the market
allocation l6 . Mitra (1997) calls for a critical review and examination <strong>of</strong> the
management systems in its technical, organisational and institutional aspects as
well as in its financial parameters including pricing <strong>of</strong> water in view <strong>of</strong> the poor
status <strong>of</strong> performance <strong>of</strong> irrigation system in India (Mitra, 1997: 2).
Pant (1998) examines the controversy over centralised -
decentralised
authority structure in the management <strong>of</strong> irrigation water. While Steward (l949)
and Wittfogel (1957) argues in favour <strong>of</strong> a centralised co-ordination and
1. See, IFPRI (1994) for a detailed description <strong>of</strong> these mechanisms. There are numerous
anecdotal reports and a growing number <strong>of</strong> studies <strong>of</strong> water markets in UP. Haryana,
Punjab, Bihar. West Bengal. Orissa and AP in India [Shankar. 1992; Pant. 1991;
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