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| Community-Based Irrigation Water Management in Ladakh: A High Altitude Cold Arid Region |
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Reference |
| Angchok, Dorjey, Stobdan, Tsering, and Shashi B Singh. 2008. "Community-Based Irrigation Water Management in Ladakh: A High Altitude Cold Arid Region." Presented at "Governing Shared Resources: Connecting Local Experience to Global Challenges," 12th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Commons, Cheltenham, England, July 14-18, 2008. Link: Http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/archive/00003943/ |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| Ladakh constitutes the easternmost trans-Himalayan part of India, bordering Pakistan and China. Truly described as cold arid desert, is one of the coldest and most elevated inhabited regions of the world. Because of diverse environment and lower population density there is greater need for social networking, which is clearly evident from the local institutions, the role they play in sustainably managing the meager and unpredictable resources available with the people of Ladakh, in designing strategies to deal with the inhospitable and tough environmental conditions. Irrigation water is one of the most important resources to a farmer in Ladakh. The availability of this resource at the required time and in adequate amount is not always easily predictable. For distribution of irrigation water there exist proper institutional arrangements that ensure that the scare resource is available equitably and timely. In this connection there is the provision of chhur-pon (water supervisor), who is responsible to arrange water availability according to the pre-decided order |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spacial Boundaries: Ladakh constitutes the easternmost trans-Himalayan part of Jammu and Kashmir State of India, bordering Pakistan and China. Truly described as cold arid desert, it covers an area of 59146. Sq. km.Social Boundaries: |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| Water supply to individual families for irrigation is supervised by a chhur-pon (water supervisor). The chhur-pon is an official, selected by the villagers, who is in charge of water distribution for irrigation and is perhaps the most important functionary in this regard. He is expected to have the following qualities:1. ska-tsir shes-kan: one who knows the order of the ska, from where the water of yu-ra is diverted to the field . He is expected to know the conventional fixed order, and the priority for irrigating the crops of that particular village. 2. chhu-tsir shes-kan: one who knows the order in which water to be distributed to a particular crop, in what quantity and when. 3. yul-dat-chan: one who considers the fields of the whole village as his own. 4. chhu-a sta-thog gya-la cho-shes-kan: one who knows how to preserve water in times of scarcity.Another quality in view of the villagers is that, the chhur-pon must be a lucky person. There should be sufficient snowfall during his term. A person of these qualities was selected by consensus in earlier times. Nowadays rotation system is prevalent in most of the villages. If water is available in abundance then a chhur-pon is not required. If the scarcity of water in a village is acute, then, more than one chhur-pon is required. |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| The farmers in big villages are divided into groups commonly known as Schhucho, and each group gets right to water according to the traditional distribution system. The groups and the distribution pattern of water are recorded in the land records, stored at the patwari’s office in Leh, whose duty includes maintenance of an official register of these water rights or on a silk document in the village itself,generally referred to as bandabas by local people. Distribution of water for irrigation is in accordance with the rotational system. The rotational system is largely determined by the village topography, total village acreage, relative exposure to sun, average temperature, size of glacier, soil type andseepage in the irrigation channel, among other factors. It is expected of the chhur-pon to distribute water according to the rota system, and monitor the activities of other farmers. |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| There are inevitable abuses and conflicts in the distribution of water. Villagers are continually being watched at the same time that they are watching out for their neighbours, thus creating a reciprocal check on activities. It is difficult to evade signs of cheating- a moist field when all the surrounding fields are dry. The disputes could be taken to the court in Leh. But mostly villagers still prefer to negotiate their disputes at the village level itself |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| Not mentioned |
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Changes in the Institution over time |
| The selection of was selected by consensus in earlier times. Nowadays rotation system is prevalent in most of the villages |
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Purpose |
| Sustainably managing the meager and unpredictable resources available with the people of Ladakh and designing strategies to deal with the inhospitable and tough environmental conditions |
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Country |
| India |
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Region |
| Ladakh which constitutes the easternmost trans-Himalayan part of Jammu and Kashmir State of India, bordering Pakistan and China. Truly described as cold arid desert, it covers an area of 59146. Sq. km. |
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