Strategy devised to bring about changes

The two-day state-level workshop on `Leading Change in the Irrigation Sector’, organised by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, which concluded at Sasthra Bhavan here on Friday, has worked out a strategy for initiating changes in the irrigation sector in Kerala. For this, they have called for the increased involvement of farmers in Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) that ought to be implemented in all the irrigation projects in Kerala in a phased manner. They have recommended the reconstitution of the High Level Working Group on PIM and to expedite enactment of amendments to the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation Act, 2003. A major recommendation was to ensure active involvement of the Agriculture Department in the command areas. Necessary forums for interaction and coordination among irrigation agencies and Agriculture Department may be set up for this at various levels, with the roles and responsibilities of each Department/Agency clearly spelt out. They have also called for regular water auditing in the irrigation projects and bringing the data to the public domain and creating special programmes and packages for the implementation of group farming in all the irrigation projects. The worked-out strategy also involves several training programmes in a problem-solving mode for all Irrigation, Agriculture and Cooperative Departments and training programmes, discussions, awareness programmes, for farmers on PIM-related topics, with special programmes being organised for women. The other recommendations include preparation of ayacut maps, listing out the major/medium irrigation project on priority basis for the implementation of PIM, motivation of officials involved in PIM, enforcement of water release schedule, and rehabilitation of the irrigation systems, including the field channels and control structures which are damaged. In his valedictory address, K Jayakumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources, called for performance audit, professional integrity and commitment in the government departments, especially the Irrigation Department, if a change was required.
The Hindu, 22nd August 2009