Beneficiary Participation in Irrigation Water Management: The Kerala

7. Summary and Conclusions
Most irrigation projects the world over, wide difference exists between the estimated and
the actual areas benefited, and between potential created and utilised. Several experiments
have gone into reducing such differences. As a result, in the “first generation of projects”,
beneficiary farmers were expected to take up the construction and maintenance of field
channels and water distribution below the sluice level. These expectations were seldom
realised. Beneficiary participation in almost all the projects remained hesitant and inadequate.
Therefore, in the “second generation of irrigation projects” which began with the introduction
of CADA in India, beneficiary involvement came to be stressed even more. In Kerala,
Beneficiary Farmers Associations (BFAs) were formed to achieve this objective. Yet,
beneficiary participation remained low in major irrigation projects. The present study attempts
at a critical evaluation of the working of BFAs, identifying reasons for their failure, and
suggesting remedial measures.
We have examined the performance of BFAs in relation to their various activities stipulated
in CADA Act such as water distribution and resolution of conflicts; the functioning of
CADA in Kerala; and the question of the legal status of BFAs and methods of financing
them.
The CADA Act of 1986 stipulates a three-tier system: the Project Advisory Committee
(PAC) at the project level, the canal committee at the branch level, and beneficiary farmers
association (BFAs) at the sluice / sluices level. Each of them has well-defined functions.
The major functions of PAC are ensuring adequate water supply, equitable water distribution
among the different areas of project command, and co-ordination of the activities of canal
committees. The CCs, on their part, co-ordinate the activities of BFAs, arrange for equitable
water distribution among the ayacuts of different BFAs, and enforce uniform cropping pattern
to resolve conflicts among BFAs. The major functions of BFAs include taking up of minor
civil works, repairs and maintenance, playing of a leading role in water distribution in the
BFA ayacuts concerned, and resolution of conflicts. BFAs have Non-Recurring Functions
(NRF) and Recurring Functions (RFs).
All the sample respondents in our survey were rice cultivators, whose interest was to augment
irrigation facilities for cultivation. They were experienced persons with an average experience
of about 20 years in rice cultivation. As between office-bearers (OBs) and ordinary members
(OMs), the average size of holdings of the former came to about double that of OMs.
Higher levels of interest in augmenting irrigation facilities were evinced by cultivators with
larger holdings. The level of education was also higher among OBs.
Some of the noteworthy features in the formation and working of BFAs in Kerala are the
following: It is CADA officials who took the initiative in their formation and not the farmer
groups. In most cases, the membership fee of Rs 5 was not paid by the farmers concerned;
payment was made on their behalf by prospective office-bearers, or the potential contractors
of field-channel lining or the large farmers in the ayacut. Further, there was heavy
concentration of BFA formation in 1986 and 1987; 86 percent were formed in these two
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