PIM
Participatory Irrigation Management
In order to ensure participation of the farmers in Irrigation Management, Water Users’ Associations have been constituted through election in the Chhattisgarh State. The main objectives behind the constitution of these Water Users’ Associations are to promote the optimal use of water amidst the various WUA’s, to ensure equitable distribution of water, to divide the irrigation systems to ensure its proper maintenance, to ensure economic and deft use of water from the viewpoint of increasing agricultural production, sustaining the environment and, also, to cultivate and develop in the farmers the sense of ownership for their Irrigation System.
The following are duties of the Water Users’ Associations:
  • To prepare water-budget according to the availability of water.
  • To prepare and implement the Warabandi Schedule.
  • To plan and implement the maintenance of irrigation system.
  • To control the distribution of water amongst all the water users and to ensure maximum utilization of water.
  • To resolve the disputes amidst the water users regarding distribution of water.
  • To collect and deposit the Water-tax.
  • To maintain the Accounts and to get it audited.
  • To get social audit
  • To raise the resources of the organization (WUA).
  • To conduct general body meetings regularly and keep the record of proceedings, etc.
A three tier system is proposed for the water users’ associations:
  • Water Users’ Association: will be constituted in the command areas of all the three types of Irrigation Projects, viz. Major, Medium and Minor Projects*.
  • Distributory Committee: will be constituted in the command areas of Major Projects (except for some chosen Medium Projects).
  • Project Committee: will be constituted in the command areas of both the types of projects, the Medium and
    Major projects

* Major Projects- Command area > 10,000 Hectares

* Medium Projects- Command area > 2,000 Hectares and <10,000 hectares="" p="">

* Minor Projects- Command area < 2,000 Hectares

 

Each Water Users’ Association has been divided into a minimum of four and maximum of twelve territorial constituencies on the hydraulic basis. No WUA, whether belonging to Major Irrigation System, Medium Irrigation System, or Minor Irrigation System, will extend beyond 2,000 hectares in area.
For the constitution of Water Users’ Association in the State an Act, viz. sinchai prabandhan me krishakon ki bhagidari-1999 (Participatory Irrigation Management Act-1999) was passed, and in compliance with this Act, 945 WUA’s, for an area of 1,119,320 hectares were constituted by ballot vote.
Chhattisgarh sinchai prabandhan me krishakon ki bhagidari adhiniyam 2006 (Chhattisgarh Farmers’ Participation in Management of Irrigation – ACT 2006) was published on May 24, 2006 in the official Gazette of the State. By revising the prior Act.
It is for the first time that
1. The Scheduled Caste, Schedule Tribe, and Other Backward Class have been ensured representation.
2. One third of the posts in both the reserved and unreserved constituencies have been reserved for the women, and
3. The wives of the land-holder have been granted the right to vote.
Now, 25% of the water tax collected by the Water Users’ Association is given back to them (WUA) for the maintenance of the Irrigation System. Thus the WUA’s have been rendered self-dependent by granting them the financial right of Revenue Recovery.
Complying with the Chhattisgarh Farmers’ Participation in Management of Irrigation – ACT 2006 the State Government conducted an election of ,324 Presidents and 8,576 Members to constitute 1,324 WUA’s on February 9, 2006. Again, on 13th May 2006 elections were conducted for the remaining 6 Presidents and 632 Members. At present the posts of 3 Presidents and 20 Members are still unoccupied due to various reasons, viz. resignation, non-receipt of Nomination and death.
Under the Managing Committee (MC) there is one President – from each Water Users’ Association – and one Member from each Territorial Constituency (TC). Vide State Government Notification, dated 12th February 2007, the Sub-divisional Officer (SDO) of the Water Resources Department has been appointed as the Competent Authority for the concerned WUA; and vide notification dated 14th September 2007, the Agriculture Extension Officer/Rural Agriculture Extension Officer has been appointed as Agriculture-advisor of the concerned WUA.
The Command Area Development work is also being carried out though these Water Users’ Associations.
The WUA’s so constituted are efficiently participating in the management of irrigation of a total of 1,244,563 hectares area.

***