A STUDY ON IMPACT OF WATER USERS ASSOCIATIONS IN KRISHNA DELTA OF ANDHRA PRADESH
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Date
2019
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Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur
Abstract
The shortage of water has raised due to the unbalances between the precipitation distribution and population and improper management practices. This situation has resulted in the need of the collective efforts of the farmers, intellectuals and other stakeholders to ensure store and distribute the water as efficiently as lead to the sustainable development in both agricultural and industrial sectors, these call for participatory approaches. So the government of Andhra Pradesh has introduced the participatory irrigation management as ―The Andhra Pradesh Farmers Management of Irrigation Systems (APFMIS) Act‖ in 1997. The legal framework created out of the APFMIS Act resulted in creation of farmers‘ organizations at different levels of irrigation system like Water User Associations (WUA), Distributory Committee (DC) and Project Committee (PC). The main role of Water Users Associations is to regulate and distribute water within its command area.
A study on Impact of Water Users Association in Krishna delta of Andhra Pradesh was carried out during 2016 by selecting 240 respondents from Krishna delta region on proportionate random basis for the study.
The dependent variables considered were opinion, direct and indirect changes. The Ex-post facto research design was followed to conduct the study and the data was collected using pre-tested schedule then followed by interview schedule. For the purpose of statistical analysis appropriate statistical tools were used and interpreted the data.
The profile of the respondents revealed that majority of the respondents were middle aged, educated up to high school, having 4-10ha of land holding, medium in extension contact, high social participation and trained. Majority of the respondents were medium in perceived workload, information and communication behaviour, depends on WUA members, friends, irrigation officials and mobile phones for getting information regarding WUAs.
Coming to psychological characteristics majority of the respondents were under medium level of decision making, innovativeness, risk orientation, achievement motivation, management orientation and high level of economic orientation.
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The major functions performed by the Project Committee, Distributory Committee and Water Users Associations were maintain an inventory of irrigation system, resolve disputes, organization of meetings, water budgeting, social audit, preparation and implementation of warabandhi schedule, monitoring the flow of irrigation.
The opinion scale was constructed with 22 statements by using summated rating scale developed by Likert. Majority of the respondents were having favourable opinion towards WUAs. Majority of the respondents had strong favourable opinion towards performance of WUAs in terms of increased crop yield, helps in restoring the confidence of farmers in the irrigation system and there was a need for conducting technical training programmes, particularly on efficient and effective water application practices and their impacts on environment.
The study also focused on the impact of water users associations in Krishna delta in terms of direct and indirect changes. Majority of the respondents had medium level of direct changes. Availability of sufficient irrigation, water during crop growth period, creation of employment, implementation of warabandhi system, rehabilitation of water courses, equidistribution of irrigation water among head, middle and tail-end farmers, reduction of conflicts among farmers, maintaining good relations with irrigation and revenue officials, practicing avenue plantation along the bunds of the canals, enhancement of yields of paddy, sugarcane, turmeric, maize and pulses, magnification of average income, introduction of less water use rice production technologies like Direct Sown Rice (DSR) were the major direct changes as perceived by the farmers due to implementation of WUAs.
The study revealed a detailed analysis on indirect changes were majority of them had medium level of indirect changes. Mechanization, increased wage rates, enhancement of land values, positive change in attitude, improved land use pattern, increased knowledge on water use efficiency, less water theft, change in knowledge, increased credit needs, increased fish/aquaculture, change in social life, improved communication behaviour and increased personal empowerment, enhancement of availability of water, autonomy in decision making, conjunctive use of canal water, ground water and drain water, change in skill, decrease in migration of farmers and development of self respect.
The chi square tests revealed that variables such as social participation, perceived workload, information and communication behaviour, cropping pattern, decision making, achievement motivation and management orientation showed significant association with the opinion of the respondents. In case of direct changes the variables such as source of information, information and communication behaviour, cropping pattern, decision making and innovativeness showed significant association with the direct changes. Regarding indirect changes the variables such as social participation, source of information, information and communication behaviour, cropping pattern, decision making, innovativeness, achievement motivation and management orientation showed significant association with the indirect changes.
The major strengths of WUAs as expressed by the respondents were involvement of water users associations; good support from the irrigation department officials; sufficient water is available during crop season; increased crop yields. Regarding weaknesses as perceived by the respondents were expressed were allocation of insufficient funds; inadequate training facilities; inadequate maintenance of drains;
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poor quality of works. The possible opportunities for the WUAs as perceived by the respondents were empowerment of farmers to manage irrigation system; facilitates the effective implementation of warabandhi schedule; resolution of disputes among farmers. The major challenges faced by WUAs as perceived by the respondents were management of aquatic weeds; equal distribution of water among head middle and tailend areas; improving the drainage networks.
The prime strengths of WUAs as perceived by the irrigation officials were involvement of WUAs in water management; good support from irrigation department official; improved the efficiency and performance of irrigation systems; sufficient water is available during crop season; increase in social relations among farmers. The major weaknesses as perceived by the irrigation officials were allocation of insufficient funds; non involvement of members of WUA in management of water users associations; inadequate maintenance of drains. The opportunities as perceived by the irrigation officials were WUAs facilitates the effective implementation of warabandhi schedule; improved decision making based on local knowledge; empowerment of farmers to manage irrigation system. The major challenges faced by WUAs as perceived by the irrigation officials were improving the drainage networks; equal distribution of water among head middle and tail-end areas; weak institutional set up; development of friendly relationship among water users associations;
Finally the hypothetical strategies were developed for the sustainability of water users associations based on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges (SWOC) perceptions in which Garrett ranking technique was followed for SWOC and other results obtained from the study. The government should release sufficient funds timely, regular monitoring should be done during construction of works, to motivate all the members by conducting more trainings and meetings, institutional set up for irrigation department, WUAs should get their share of funds from water tax collected by revenue department and irrigation officials should take proper action to enhance the strengths and opportunities and to resolve the weaknesses and challenges of water users associations.
The suggestions offered through the study, if followed, there would be possibility of improving the efficiency of water users associations and thereby socioeconomic conditions of farmers of Krishna delta of Andhra Pradesh.
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D5955
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