Water Users Association and Irrigation Management - Institute for ...

Command Area Development Program (CADP)14 is proposed to be restructured during the
Tenth Plan (2002-07) to improve the existing conditions of water availability at the point of
the government outlets of major and medium irrigation projects and make the stakeholders
responsible for the operation and upkeep of the downstream systems. The restructured
CAD program is to take into account the correction of system deficiencies above the outiet,
renovation of the irrigation system and control structures within the designated irrigation
commands. The restructured CAD program will also include linkage of field drains with the
main drainage system, increased involvement of beneficiaries in construction and maintenance
of on falln development works and equitable distribution of water through WU As.
Factors affecting farmers' decision to adopt management strategies
As mentioned earlier, all the farmers adopted one or the other management strategies to
mitigate the adverse etlects. The intensity of practices, however, depends on the intensity of
the problems. Since some of these practices are cost intensive, resource poor farmers were
unable to adopt it more effectively and in time. Even so, farmers try to mobilize resources
when they see the danger of farm productivity getting reduced. Barbier & Bishop (1995)
reported that farmers in developing countries are willing to make modifications or change
their land and water management strategies if it leads to an immediate economic gain.
A wide range of factors influences the management strategies adopted by farmers.
However, in this study based on the availability of data a few variables are hypothesized to
affect farmers' decision to adopt the various management strategies. These variables are
classified into three categories: (I) personal factors, such as education, mother tongue
(migrant and native farmers), family size, and experience in irrigated agriculture; (2)
economic variables such as number of livestock, timely availability of credit, non farm
income, capacity to use factors like tractor, harvester, more labor etc., (3) institutional
factors such as WUA.
Two separate logit equations were estimated for both the villages and the results of the
estimations are presented in Table 6.5. To study the impact of the presence of WUA, we
14 Order No 2-10/200 I.CAD/45 dated 25'h February. 2004. Ministry of Water Resources, GOI redesignates
the CADI' as Command Area Development and Water Management Program.
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