Irrigation societies explaining equal distribution and appropriate uses of water

- Sanjay Dave

The farmer of Gujarat is happy because rainy season has started. Every year there is uncertainty of rain, so it looks like drops of ‘Amrit’. For last 10 years, efforts to collect and direct rainy water into land are taking place. The collected underground water recharges wells and also available for irrigation.

Check dams filled with water in villages are useful in irrigation of farms. By watching this, an important scheme has started in India. This scheme, named Watershed Development scheme is counted among most successful schemes of government till now. Noteworthy efforts of taking care of water, land and forest are being done under this scheme in Gujarat and other states. Many organizations supported by government and many non-government organizations have done amazing work of water harvesting through watershed programmes.

Water shed means a large area where water can be accumulated. These are the upstream and downstream areas of a village or two villages. This is the main point of this scheme. Various structures like wall, check dam, drain or canal plugging, wire meshes are erected from upstream area to downstream area, so rainwater can absorb by land due to the logging in its way.

Many institutions have done work under the watershed scheme. The organizations that have done extensive work for this scheme are Sadguru Water and Development Foundation, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India), Development Support Centre, Utthan, Kundla Taluka Gram Vikas Mandal (Rural Development Group working in Kundla Block) and Manav Kalyan Trust (Trust working for Human Welfare. Two elderly persons of Saurashtra have done new experiments and aware farmers of Gujarat for rainwater harvesting. They are Premjibapa and Shamjibhai Antala.

Premjibhai of ‘Vruksh Seva Trust’ brought water revolution in villages of Jamkandorna block of Rajkot district. The rivers of that area become perennial because of watershed and other water collection works. Everybody give respect to Premjibapa due to his work in the area of water harvesting, who has left his business in Mumbai and come back and settled down in his native village Upleta. Shamajibhai Antala became well known personality at national and international level. He has recharged more than one lakhs of wells in Saurashtra. He has done campaigning village to village to aware farmers about the importance of water recharging. He has also presented his views about water and water harvesting in national and international water councils.

Presently canals and rivers started to fill with rainwater, so let us talk about successful efforts of water harvesting co-operative societies. Small organization and groups of villages are also doing great works by the inspiration and guidance of voluntary organizations. Water harvesting co-operative societies of Bamanbore, Rangpur, Thalota and Kiyaadar villages has proved this. State government of Gujarat has accepted the partnership policy in 1995 to run water-harvesting schemes effectively. For the practical testing of this Dharoi Irrigation scheme of Thalota village is chosen for Part Irrigation Management (PIM). The responsibility of this work is given to voluntary organization ‘Development Support Centre” (DSC) of Ahmedabad.

DSC is working in the 40 villages of Dharoi irrigation scheme for the same reason. DSC has successfully worked In Thalota village of Visnagar block of Mehsana district for partnership irrigation management with the irrigation department of government.

Good results came by making farmers partner in irrigation scheme. Inspired with this, DSC has decided to give speed to partnership irrigation management in the villages under Dharoi Scheme. Total 127 villages of Mehsana and Patan district come under Jamnakantha of Dharoi scheme. DSC has spread this program in 10,000 hectare land of 40 villages. Presently co-operative irrigation groups of 16 villages are taking care of water distribution management in 400-hectare land. Among these, a noteworthy group is from Rangpur village.

Rangpur is in Visnagar block of Mehsana district. It is 11 km away from Visnagar and having total 1426 population of Patel, Thakore, Rabari, Harijan and Vaghri caste. Co-operative irrigation society was constituted in year 1983-84 in village but it was not active. DSC activated it again in year 1996.

Villages of Dharoi dam area do irrigation with the water of this dam through canals but Rangpur village needed a repairing of this canal. So the officers of irrigation department, DSC and representatives of cooperative irrigation society did a survey of this canal. A map was prepared during survey and estimated that the repairing of canal will cost Rs. 10,14,000. Generally, in any other scheme, government bears all expenditure. When Beneficiaries are associated with the partnership irrigation scheme by their own desire, then it shows good results. It has happened in Rangpur. The farmers gave Ten percent i.e. Rs 91,600 of actual expenditure i.e. Rs 9,16,000 to the society.

Repairing work of the canal is being done under the supervision of this society. Not only this, for smooth and effective running of this work, they constituted various committees like supervision committee, material management committee, accounts committee etc. After this working charge of repaired canal is also taken by the society.

Total 125-hectare land’s irrigation was planned in year 1997-98 for crop of Rabi under the working of society but farmers have taken the interest and 166-hectare land was irrigated. Supervision of farmers increased the irrigation. After this, in 1998-1999, 140-hectare land’s irrigation was planned where as 158 hectares land’s irrigation has happened. After this for two years farmers did not get benefits because dam was empty. But this year, total 178-hectare land was irrigated where as 125 hectare was planned.

This all means that noteworthy increase in irrigation area is possible by effective working of society of farmers. More over, economical use of water can increase the irrigation. Water distribution in villages become more controlled, co-ordination & cooperation between farmers and irrigation department has increased.

Every year in Rabi and Kharif crop, cleaning of canal and removing of sand taken place before releasing the water from Dharoi dam. Two rupees per square meter expenditure comes for this. But society of Rangpur village has decided to save this expenditure and to show these feelings they clean it themselves. The farmers of society collectively in Kharif and Rabi Season did the cleaning of 10 km long canal. Under this they have done 627 days labour of Rs 37620. After cleaning and releasing water, 5-hectare new land got irrigation water.

This year 45 farmers got facility of irrigation first time in the command area of Dharoi dam. Total 125 hectares land was irrigated in whole area. Rabi crops of Rai, Wheat, Saunf, Arandi, Fanugreek, Cotton, Sava, Cumin, Fodder were obtained from 142-hectare land of different farmer after irrigation. The society of Rangpur is getting success for water and earning Rs 1,40,000 in last seven years. This is also a noteworthy case.

A noteworthy benefit of this scheme is collection of cost of water. These farmers of north Gujarat obtained 100 percent cost of water, as they understood the value of water.

Moreover, the civilized farmers got following benefits from irrigation societies:

1. Every farmer can plan the sowing of crop because they have reliability of getting water from canal.
2. Every farmer is getting same quantity of water without any difference.
3. Per hectare production of crop is increased.
4. Regular repairing work of canal is going on.
5. Local people have feeling that the work of this irrigation scheme is their own.
6. Farmers do irrigation only one time in a single stream of water. If anybody breaks the rule then society charges money as a punishment. If any official, chief, minister or any businessman does this, then the amount of punishment will become double.
7. This saves the time of farmers. So they can do their other jobs timely.

The efforts happened in Rangpur and other villages for the participation of farmers in irrigation of Rabi crop under the Dharoi irrigation scheme have very much importance for government and farmers. What are the problems that come in increasing people’s participation in other irrigation schemes of state and what are the solutions for the improvement of these problems; are all understood by these villages of Mehsana and Patan district. Total 125 lakh hectare land of state is suitable for farming. If partnership irrigation scheme is executed and farmers become its working in charge, then whole region become lush green.

Bamanmore village also become popular in doing co-operative irrigation as Rangpur. This village of Chotila block of Surendranagar district has appropriately use every drop of water and established an example. Partnership irrigation society is working in this village with the help of ‘Aga Khan Rural Support Program (India). This society is working since 1986 and taking water from Doslidhuna dam and distributing it through pipelines to the local areas with the help of farmers. There is strong and permanent crisis of water in Surendranagar district. So members of this society have understood the value of every single drop of water and made their own rules.

According to these rules, if water goes outside from any farmer’s farm, then he will get punishment. If any farmer non-essentially repeatedly irrigates his farm, then also it is punishable. Now who will decide the punishment? The elite people of village made a justice committee for taking these decisions. Villagers give respect to the decision of this justice committee.

The need of water is fulfilled from the logged water of Doslidhuna dam near Bamanmore village through pipeline. This society has total 48 members of different caste like Koli, Rebari, Bharvad, Darbar etc. they all are collectively doing efforts for the water. Total expenditure on this scheme of distribution of water is Rs 8,13,040. Total 7 lakhs rupees were granted by government under programmes of drought area and another 80,000 rupees are given by district rural development agency.

Generally, government aid is used for different works, but Bamanbore society saved 74 thousand rupees and made an unnamed trust of these rupees. This amount will remain as it is because the money for expenditure of working and maintenance come from the tax of water. This is noteworthy that this society is getting profit every year.

By watching the caliber of these irrigation society we can say that uneducated rural people, whom we counted as non-sensible, can also accomplish their responsibility in better way. If government is thinking of giving charge of these canals to cooperative society, then only in true sense authority and power will be in hands of public and income will increase.