Grassroots approach to optimise water use

The water resources department has decided to adopt a grassroots approach as a means to optimise the use of the precious commodity.

It is doing so by increasing the involvement of water users’ co-operative societies in deciding on the quantum of water released to canals in the respective regions.

Department sources said this would replace the present ‘ad-hoc’ and ‘arbitrary’ system, where water supply is in the grip of powerful politicians, village strongmen and bureaucrats.

The department has mooted the proposal at the instance of AC-IWRM (Advanced Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management). AC-IWRM is a think tank which co-ordinates with 15 other departments and water boards. It has received the cabinet approval to approach the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a Rs 800-crore loan and it is likely to set up a centre in Bangalore.

The department proposes that these societies decide on how much water is required and when it is required. The societies will be the primary nodal agencies to connect with the farmers so as to increase the efficiency, transparency of water usage and its equitable distribution.

The proposal includes water saving cropping patterns and intervention whenever there is a crisis in the sowing season. The societies will also be responsible for collecting water charges from farmers and distributing the money.

Pilot project in Yadgir

In the pilot project in Yadgir district, along the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal (NLBC), the societies have been hailed as being quite a success by the department. A total of 500 societies have already been formed, with another 324 WUCS in the pipeline, in the NLBC area alone, over an expanse of 4.5 lakh hectares of land.

The department may propose such associations in urban areas too, for quality water supply and allied services. There is also a plan for a high-level steering group at the State level with representatives from NGOs, water user associations and private organisations in the water sector. There will be a steering group at the district level too, with the involvement of stakeholders and officials.

“We are co-ordinating with all departments concerned in providing water to farmers and consumers and increasing efficiency of water use,” said D Satyamurthy, principal secretary to the department of Water Resources. The Rs 800-crore loan from ADB will be spread over the next eight years and will make Karnataka the first state in the country to launch an integrated approach for water use.