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

direction <strong>of</strong> water harvesting leading to greater political integration and
emergence <strong>of</strong> powerful bureaucracy, Pant (1998) shows evidences <strong>of</strong> success <strong>of</strong>
decentralised governance <strong>of</strong> water control and management systems. Narrating
the success story <strong>of</strong> the' Ahar - Pyne' system in South Bihar, Pant concludes that
the performance <strong>of</strong> indigenous irrigation systems is more effective in terms <strong>of</strong>
ensuring better farmer coordination in management, collective action and
sustaining equitable distribution <strong>of</strong> water. However, the indigenous systems
declined owing to: 1) the institutional reforms resulting in the abolition <strong>of</strong>
zamindari system; 2) alternative canal development schemes in the postindependence
and post-green revolution era; and 3) non-integration between
traditional and modern systems in the post-independence phase.
Pant (1999) shows that the management transfer to the WUAs in
Maharashtra is effective in terms <strong>of</strong> area expansion under irrigation as well as
water use efficiency_ The WUAs have considerably improved the recovery <strong>of</strong>
water charges thereby bringing revenue to the government. Moreover, by
charging much higher amount from the water users, the WUAs have accumulated
funds for the maintenance <strong>of</strong> their microstructures and continue to survive and
thrive even after management subsidy <strong>of</strong> the government has ceased to exist.
Vermilion (1997) states that irrigation management transfer in the
Philippines has resulted in substantial increase <strong>of</strong> over 50 per cent in the water
fee collection rate, improvements in O&M and a rise in cropping intensity.
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Kolavalli and Atheeq, 1990; Kolavalli, Kalro and Asopa, 1989; Saleth, 1991; Shah and
Raju, 19881_
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