In April 1997, the Andhra Pradesh government launched a massive Watershed Development Programme to transfer the management of irrigation schemes (rivers and tanks) to farmers’ organisations. Further, irrigation department officials, from the sub-engineer to the chief executive engineer, were to be gradually made accountable to water users.
The programme established itself as a model for other similar transfer strategies. By June 1997, 10,292 Water Users’ Associations (WUAs) had been constituted. A WUA is the primary level in participatory irrigation management in Andhra Pradesh. The operational areas of a WUA is usually around 500 acres, though in some cases, it is can be as high as 3,000 to 8,000 acre. By November of that year, 174 Distributory Committees (DC) were formed. A DC is a federation of a certain number of WUAs. The entire programme has been so successful that the World Bank has termed it a model for the whole world! What then is the reason for which the programme is not only `alive’ but `kicking’ as well! There are several good reasons for the continued success of the programme. First, it has strong political and legal backing. The programme resulted from the passing of the Andhra Pradesh Farmers’ Management of Irrigation Systems Act (see box) in April 1997. This Act had been unanimously accepted by the state legislature (before which it had been extensively discussed at the district level). Second, the Act ensures that irrigation officials are accountable to the water users. The job performance of assistant engineers is now partly evaluated by the WUA. As the transfer of power rolls on, deputy executive engineers are being made answerable to the DC. In due course, the executive engineers, formerly in charge of the entire irrigation scheme, will be made answerable to the Project Committee (PC), which consists of presidents of all the DC . One of the major reasons for earlier attempts failing was lack of accountability of officials to the farmers.
Unlike earlier programmes, full responsibility
for carrying out maintenance and repair works lies with the water users. In fact, users
are also permitted to modernise the system, though in accordance with standards and cost
estimates given by the irrigation department. This has promoted a sense of ownership among
the water users. As a result, WUA are shouldering increasing responsibility with
enthusiasm. The WUA now execute 90% of the maintenance and repair works themselves. The
irrigation department has responded to this development in a very positive manner. Private
contractors have been forbidden from executing any works in the operational area of each
WUA. To make the process of transfer of power foolproof, contractors undertaking any
construction works in the operational area of a WUA have been forbidden from becoming
members of the farmers’ Most importantly, the Act is quite comprehensive (see box). The water users as members of the farmers’ organisations at all three levels have been entrusted with the entire gamut of powers, rights and responsibilities associated with managing a public irrigation system. Important functions of the WUA include.
The Act has made a bold attempt at transfer of power to the people and succeeded. What is heartening is that the state government is constantly reviewing the process and correcting any deficiencies. For instance, the Act in its original form did not disallow public servants from holding office in WUA/DC/PC. As a result, many political parties strengthened their rural base by appointing party members and sympathizers to the posts of president and chairperson. A study conducted by the National Institute of Science Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi, concluded that public servants were abusing their power to gain undue access to water resources. The state government has added a clause where the public servants are now debarred from holding office in WUA/DC/PC. The entire endeavor has changed the face of irrigation in the state. On the one hand, the role of the irrigation department has been transformed from that of a `facilitator’ to that of a `doer’. On the other hand, transfer of power has been so complete that the state government is now considering creating autonomous irrigation districts where users will not only run the irrigation system but also fund it entirely on their own, without dependence on the government. A radical transformation indeed!
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