In this article we will discuss about the irrigation legislation of Andhra Pradesh.
In Andhra Pradesh, Command Area Development (CAD) Act that was enacted in the year 1984 imposed the creation of Command Area Development Authorities (CADAs) and ‘Pipe Committees’ (PC). These Pipe Committees proved to be quite ineffective as the delivery of water at the outlet was quite unrealistic leaving no scope to the pipe committees to effect any improvement in the distribution of water. Pipe Committees had no role in the maintenance and their responsibilities were not defined and hence were non-functional.
The AP state through another act in the year 1997 called “The Andhra Pradesh Farmers’ Management of Irrigation” created a three-tier WUA system at hydraulic level, Distributary Committee and Project Committee. More than 10,000 WUAs have been formed with a clearly specified responsibilities and powers. A provision was also made to provide financial assistance for those WUAs that enhance water fee collections in their commands.
The AP Farmers’ Management of Irrigation Systems Act was enacted in 1997. Following this, elections were conducted in June 1997 to WUAs for all major, medium and minor schemes.
The main objectives of the WUAs act include:
1. Realising the maximum irrigation potential,
2. Ensuring equitable and reliable supplies,
3. Improving the efficiency of the existing irrigation network, and
4. Managing water resources better through stakeholder participation and withdraw the department from O & M.
Under this act, up to March 2000, 10,292 WUAs have been registered. Of these, elections for 9,800 WUAs were conducted and these WUAs were formalised by March 2000. Elections were not conducted in 492 WUAs for various reasons such as stay orders from court or the government.
Interestingly, elections were unanimous in majority of the cases. Elections for the second term were conducted during 2003, though not in all the WUAs. Second term elections were conducted in all but nine districts and in about 4,564 out of the total 10,790 WUAs. Elections were postponed in nine districts. The main reason given was that there was no water in the canals, especially in the Nagarjuna sagar command area.
About 80 per cent of these WUAs are in minor systems. The evolution of water user associations is mainly facilitated by the AP. Economic restructuring project (irrigation component) funded (Rs 4,994 crores) mainly by World Bank, NABARD and through the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of Government of India.
Institutional Structure:
As per the act, all the surface irrigation schemes, major, medium and minor are covered under the programme. Each farmer’s organisation was expected to have even number of territorial constituencies or committees (TC) within the WUA. Area covered by each constituency depends on the nature of the project and size of the command area.
It ranges between 150 and 250 ha in the case of major and medium projects and between less than 50 and 200 ha in the case of minor irrigation projects. Each TC will have an area between 250 and 600 ha. Area under the WUA ranges from 250 to 3500 ha. Area will be much less in the case of minor systems.
Depending on the type of irrigation scheme, one to three tier systems of associations/committees will be in place. Each Assistant Engineer will be in- charge for a maximum area of 4445 ha and four to five times of this area would be under a Deputy Engineer. The basic structure of the PIM is presented in the Fig 20.1.
Functions of these bodies include preparation of operational plans at the beginning of each season, maintain an inventory of irrigation systems such as tanks, ponds, wells etc., within the command area, maintenance of records, plan and execute the distributary and drainage systems maintenance, water budgeting, resource mobilisation, conflict resolution etc. One interesting feature of the WUAs is the right to recall the president if his functioning is not satisfactory. The general body can remove him with one-third majority.