Pakistan

International Seminar On Irrigation Associations For Participatory Management

The Asian Productivity Organization (APO), based in Tokyo, Japan, organized a seminar on Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) at Lahore from October 6-11, 1997 in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Punjab Water Management Wing (Dept. of Agriculture), and the Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Center (PITAC) and with active support of INPIM-Pakistan.

The participating countries included Bangladesh, Iran, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. INPIM members from Albania, Egypt, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States and Pakistan also participated in the seminar. Water User's Federation Representatives from four PIM pilot projects in Pakistan also joined the discussions of the seminar. Mr. Shahid Hamid, Governor of the Punjab, was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session of the seminar. Its closing session was chaired by Dr. Zafar Altaf, Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, who is also member of INPIM board of Directors. 

The main topics of discussions included overviews of irrigation development in the Asia Pacific region and the respective role of Water Users Associations, Irrigation Associations and other farmer's organizations in improved irrigation system performance. Emphasis was given to the legal aspects of the Water Users Associations for sustainable irrigation management and participatory approaches to management, maintenance and operation of irrigation and drainage systems.

PIM Training Workshop

A training workshop on PIM was held at the Farmers Training Center (FTC) Multan from October 27-31, 1997. The workshop focused on capacity building for PIM activities under the ADB-assisted Third Punjab OFWM Project. Professor Dr. Wayne Clyma (INPIM Scholar) from Colorado State University, USA was the resource person for the workshop. About 30 participants from different field teams of the Third Punjab OFWM Project and the staff of the Water Management Training Institute, Lahore attended the workshop. A main topic covered was the new roles/services to be provided by support agency personnel to farmers in conducting the PIM activities. 

PIM Pilot Projects

Implementation of PIM at the distributary level (ranging from 750 ha to about 20,000 ha) is quite new and it was accordingly decided to execute this approach on a pilot basis. At present, PIM pilot activities are on-going at ten different sites in Pakistan under different projects. These include Fordwah Eastern Sadiqia (South) Irrigation and Drainage Project, Bahawalnagar Project; Pilot Action Research on Social Organizations at Hakra 4-R Distributary, Haroonabad; Farmer Managed Irrigated Agriculture Under Left Bank Outfall Drain Stage-1 Project, Sindh; Social Organizations for improved system Management and Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture in Small Dams, Punjab; PIM Pilot Projects under OFWM -III (OECF assisted) in Punjab & NWFP; and Punjab Private Sector Groundwater Development Project. These various pilots are being executed by IIMI-Pakistan, various consultants and by the Provincial Agriculture and Irrigation Departments. We will be reporting on the outcome of these pilot project in upcoming newsletters.

Turkey

PPIMIP For Sustainability Of PIM In Turkey

The Participatory Privatization of Irrigation Management and Investment Project (PPIMIP), financed through a World Bank loan, aims to strengthen the full range of irrigation-related institutions in the country. These include Water User Organizations (WUOs), the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI) and the General Directorate of Rural Services (GDRS). The project will offer assistance in three ways: (1) financing the purchase of operation and maintenance equipment by the WUOs; (2) institutional strengthening of DSI and GDRS; and (3) constructing a Pilot Drip Irrigation Scheme which will be an example of participatory irrigation investment in modernizing infrastructure.

The financing arrangements between government and WUOs in the past have involved repayment of the initial cost of irrigation investment, but without taking into consideration the high rate of inflation and interest on the capital invested in the irrigation scheme. Under the PPIMIP WUOs will receive a subsidy of about 30 percent of the cost of O & M equipment, which is a far lower subsidy than under the former arrangement. 

Training Activities: DSI is arranging three national seminars during 1998 for WUO's key staff, such as secretary general and accountants. This represents one of the most important forms of support to the WUOs in order to ensure their sustainability. Currently in Turkey there are 638 WUOs and their total command area is about 1.3 million ha. Everything is not perfect in the sense of PIM activities in the country but progress is clearly being made. The most important thing is to continue good contact and cooperation among the irrigation related institutions.

by Hasan Özlü
INPIM Board Member, Turkey

China

China is on a fast pace of reform in many fields, including irrigation management reform. Many kinds of reform models are under pilot operations, such as water users' associations (WUAs), stock-sharing irrigation companies, modification of existing Irrigation Management Committees (IMCs), and Irrigation Corporations. The Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), the official body in-charge of irrigation sector policies, is monitoring the development of these reform models in order to formulate policy guidelines at an appropriate time. As part of this process, MWR plans to hold the 3rd National Seminar on Irrigation Management Reforms in early June 1998. In addition, MWR plans to organize a study tour in October or November, 1998 for senior officials of the ministry and representatives from some large irrigation districts who will go to the United States and Mexico to study their best practices for irrigation management.

Albania

INPIM is now well known in Albania and is registered in the courts as a national organization under the name ANPIM. It has 132 active members drawn from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Project Management Unit, Water Enterprises and WUAs, private design consultants, contractors and supervisors involved in the Irrigation Rehabilitation Project (IRP). In Albania there are three projects following the PIM approach: (1) The IRP covering seven districts on the coastal plains; (2) The Small Scale Irrigation Rehabilitation Project (SSIRP) covering smaller schemes in four districts in the more mountainous areas; and (3) The Fier Agricultural Programme (FAP), a small Dutch-financed project.

Following the breakup of state farms and cooperatives, and the subsequent privatization of the agricultural sector, there was no organization to take over the operation of irrigation systems and the distribution of water. Also, the shift from supplying cooperative or state farms with irrigation water to servicing a large number of individual farmers (with average holdings of about 1.4 ha.) required that a reconceptualization of irrigation be rapidly adopted to make full use of the systems which were being rehabilitated. Consequently, the formation of WUAs was started by the IRP in 1994.

WUAs were formed with the object of maintaining and operating tertiary canals and farm channels downstream of the tertiary off-takes form the secondary canals. Although only starting in 1994, the program has been a considerable success and now there are 187 WUAs which cover the entire project area (98,000 irrigated hectares). There are, in addition, 62 WUAs in the SSIRP and two in the FAP. 

The first WUAs were based on village units, but as it was realized that several villages might share a single source of water, the WUAs were reorganized on the basis of hydrological units to avoid disputes. Additionally, the state-run Water Enterprises (WEs), which operated the primary and secondary levels of the irrigation systems, had become overstaffed and inefficient. Consequently, farmers lost confidence in them and were reluctant to pay water charges. So, the concept of handing the completed systems directly to the WUAs evolved. The WUAs, thus became responsible for all the costs involved in operating the system they had taken over and they paid reduced charges to the WEs according to their level of responsibility, or none if they had taken over the complete system. (The latter case occurred particularly where the source of irrigation water was a pumping station.)

By the start of the 1997 irrigation season, 78 WUAs were in the process of assuming management of their systems and 66 percent of the area in the IRP districts had been transferred. The remainder of the rehabilitated systems are to be handed over before the start of the 1998 season. It should noted that there is now considerable involvement of women in the WUAs, which is being assisted by the Women in Development (WID) component of the IRP.

The policy of irrigation management transfer is now being extended to include full system transfer by forming federations of WUAs to cover secondary blocks in the areas which were performing best in 1997 with the ultimate aim of handing over entire basins.

India

The Indian Network of Participatory Irrigation Management was officially registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860 on October 2, 1997.

Its objectives are:

• To promote Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) in the country through efforts outside the government system.
• To create data bank for the reports and other documents relating to PIM and disseminate ideas and information on the subject in the country and abroad.
• To provide a platform for exchange of experience and know-how about PIM through organization of conferences, seminars, training courses, field visits and publications.
• To help and cooperate with International Network on PIM (INPIM) and other national and international bodies with a view to promoting the lawful activities of PIM.
• To undertake evaluation and monitoring including process documentation of the activities relating to PIM.
• To take up various PIM related studies along with process documentation to help in better implementation of PIM.
• To support research oriented action for promoting PIM.
• To do all such other lawful acts and things as may be necessary, incidental or conducive to the attainment and furtherance of all or any of the objects of the Society.

Its governing body includes:

• Shri L.K.Joshi, President JS, MOWR
• Shri D.D.Sahoo, Secretary
• Sr. JC, MOWR & Treasurer
• Plus 3-7 Members. 

(IndiaNPIM will function under the patronage of the Ministry of Water Resources.)

A model bill for amendments in existing irrigation acts to facilitate PIM has been finalized and it will be circulated to state governments soon for introducing necessary amendments in their Irrigation Acts. The Government of Goa have enacted ``The Goa Command Area Development Act, 1997" providing for PIM.

State as well as Project level Conferences are being held throughout the country to discuss PIM-related issues for its effective implementation. A State level Conference and another Project level Conference have just been held in Karnataka State.

Central assistance in the shape of Functional Grant amounting to approximately US$8.22 million have been given to State of Andhra Pradesh for the WUAs established under Centrally Sponsored CAD Program.