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

waterlogging. The study emphasizes the need for training of farmers to ensure a proper
utilization of water and also to form farmers' cooperatives for proper operation and
maintenance of canals.
Singh et al. (2003) has estimated economic losses resulting from various sources of land
degradation in Punjab state, which worked out at around Rs 4,800 million per annum at
current prices. The severity of the economic loss appears to be the highest in Hoshiarpur
district followed by Roopnagar and Gurdaspur. The loss is the least in Fatehgarhsahib
district. District-wise details of the estimated economic losses resulting from various
sources of land degradation in Punjab at constant (1980-82) prices reveals that at the
current level of degradation, the economic losses in the state as a whole works out to be Rs
L 709 million. Sensitivity analysis reveals that at a 10 percent higher and 10 percent lower
level of extent of degradation, the annual economic losses could be Rs. 5,325 million and
Rs. 4,357 million, respectively at current prices for the state as a whole. The corresponding
estimates at constant prices are approximately Rs. 1,880 million and Rs. 1,538 million,
respectively. However, this study only gives a macro perspective of land degradation and
does not estimate the economic losses only due to waterlogging or salinity although the
losses incurred by these problems are included in the total losses due to land degradation.
In a study conducted in the Menemem irrigation and drainage project in Izmir, Turkey, it
was found that the average net returns per ha for cotton and paddy production were TL307
and TL415, respectively in the salinity affected areas, which is equivalent to 42 and 35
percent of the income in the unatTected areas. These results were based on a survey of
village heads and farmer groups in 20 villages in the Menemem project area (Republic of
Turkey 1990 cited in Umali 1993).
In a study carried out by Thiruchelvam & Pathmarajah (1997) on the Mahaweli River
System Irrigation scheme in Sri Lanka an attempt to measure the impact of salinization on
rice production is made. Analysis shows that in the affected areas, soil salinity was the
principal factor determining rice productivity. In moderately saline areas, a rice yield loss
of 10-15 percent was observed while in high and severe salinity areas, the yield was
reduccd by a third. Thc net income from rice fell by about 22 percent and 43 percent,
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