India: Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project

Abstract

Chhattisgarh has abundant agricultural land and rainfall. However, agricultural productivity was low because only wet season rice (or paddy) was grown in most areas. The Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project (CIDP) improved irrigation. Dry season (rabi) cropping became possible and gave many farmers the opportunity to improve their livelihood. Water users’ associations (WUAs) were established in Chhattisgarh in 1999 to manage local irrigation initiatives. Their first year, however, was relatively unsuccessful. Members lacked skills in managing water systems, and WUAs had insufficient funds. In 2006, through the CIDP, the State of Chhattisgarh adopted the new Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) Act, which set out important changes for irrigation management and had significant implications for women’s participation in irrigation systems. These included • Extending WUA membership to spouses, thus opening up avenues for women’s participation. Both men and women—not just women with land titles—are now full WUA members with the right to attend meetings, stand for election, and vote. • Establishing reserved seats for women and underrepresented groups, including scheduled castes and tribes. WUA subcommittees are to be composed of at least 33% women. • Expanding jurisdictions for WUAs to include minor irrigation systems and lower parts of medium and major irrigation systems. • Allowing government to share a quarter of the water fees collected from users with WUAs, which is used for small repairs and system maintenance. With the PIM Act, the CIDP improved farm productivity and increased the participation of women in farm decision making. The CIDP was the first irrigation project in Chhattisgarh that worked within a participatory irrigation management framework and strengthened WUAs. See Box 1 for basic information on the CIDP.