WATER USERS ASSOCIATIONS

AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY

NITIN KAUSHAL President – IndiaNPIM

‘National Convention of Water Users Associations Presidents’Organized by

Indian Network on Participatory Irrigation Management (IndiaNPIM), Supported by

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation

7th & 8th November 2014

Issues pertaining to sustainability of WUAs

Financial crunch

Lack of incentives

Departmental apathy

Lack of interest leading to lack of support within the farmers

Lack of awareness and training about procedures, guidelines and regulations

Why Water Use Efficiency is essential. . . .

Sectoral water usage for irrigation is over 83%

Other demands are set to rise, including – drinking and domestic, industrial & environmental

Diminishing water resources, in wake of variable rainfall patterns and depleting groundwater table due to over-exploitation

Technologically it is possible and in the interest of the country to be a self-reliant one from the perspective of water resources

How the concept of WUE can be furthered through WUAs. . . . . . . .

Financial – a seasonal water quote can be fixed for a WUA and savings within that allocation can be promoted by providing special financial assistance. Such assistance should be for the approaching irrigation seasons as well

Recognition – the WUAs which were able to demonstrate irrigation WUE should be awarded in annual state level functions. Such awards should not be a onetime annual affair, but be institutionalized and if the union government feel necessary, then it should do it by making an annual national award function a regular practice

.

This could be clubbed with the India Water Week, which is anyway an initiative of the Ministry.

Leveraging – the Ministry should develop a list of existing inter-ministerial/inter-departmental programmes or schemes, for which the WUAs or the villages falling with a specific WUA (which are able to demonstrate irrigation water use efficiency) should directly qualify for funds; so that these funds may be utilized for works under that WUA

Awareness and sensitization – for any surface water irrigation system, the water for the agricultural fields come from the rivers, which are anyway reeling under various stresses and are struggling to keep intact their ecological integrity. This has not only reduced the flows in the rivers, but has also severely impacted the aquatic biodiversity dependent on the rivers

The concept of Environmental Flows (E-Flows) in rivers is gaining momentum. The sensitization of this vital aspect to the WUAs will go a long way to arrive at a scenario, where the WUAs are aware about the environmental services which they can extend by supporting the irrigation water use efficiency.

Win – Win situation for all. . . . . .

The central government will be satisfied to achieve its set targets of water use efficiency and will get required cushion to consider rationalization of water allocation priorities for the nation

The state governments will be able to plan its water resources and be accommodative of other competing demands, which are also their priority, for instance – recreational and tourism, city civic bodies for drinking & domestic use and socio-cultural

The WUAs will benefit from the overall programme, not only in terms of leveraging additional funds, but may also get an opportunity of getting recognition at state/central level

The WUAs will also get a sense of environmental services that they will be extending to the riverine ecosystem by sparing the water resources for the rivers & for the generations to come

Thank You