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| Collective Action for Protection of Water Rights - The case of Thuruwila , Sri Lanka |
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Reference |
| Athukorala, Kusum. 2006. "Collective Action for Protection of Water Rights: The Case of Thuruwila, Sri Lanka." Presented at "Survival of the Commons: Mounting Challenges and New Realities," the Eleventh Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Bali, Indonesia, June 19-23, 2006. Link: http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/archive/00001830/ |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| Irrigated agriculture with a history and a tradition of over two thousand years supporting rice cultivation is the main source of livelihood in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The technical excellence of the ancient irrigation systems that supported rice cultivation earned for its society, the term “hydraulic civilization”. The hallmark of irrigated rice cultivation in Sri Lanka at that time was its closely woven networks of water-use systems, integrated with adequate environmental reserves, such as well-protected watersheds and catchments, wetlands and estuaries. |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spacial Boundaries: Thuruwila, a Purana (Ancient) village Anuradhapura District in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka.Social Boundaries: |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| In ancient times, many small village reservoirs ( known as Purana Wew – ancient reservoirs) with their own watersheds, continuously supported communities known as Puranagam (Ancient Village). The operation and maintenance of the tank was seen as the collective responsibility of the community .The leadership in organizing rice cultivation was undertaken by the Velvidane ( cultivation manager who was also responsible for water delivery). Upto modern times, it had its own community decisionmaking mechanism known as the Variga Sabha which promoted cooperation among the extended family. The Velvidane family continues to be involved in water management through the now operational Farmer Organisation (FO) |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| Thattumaru and Kattimaru (rotation of right of cultivation and plots among the kin group) is followed in a Purana village designed to keep the family landholding intact by maintaining ancestral lands as one block, while facilitating equity in usage among the family members. At the beginning of each cultivation season, a Kanna (cultivation) meeting is held with all farmers with the Divisional Secretary and Irrigation Engineer in attendance. This is attended by landholders who decide on cultivation pattern, date of water issue, management of water rotations, crop type etc. Earlier these decisions were the sole prerogative of the community |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| Community decision making mechanism known as the Variga Sabha which promoted cooperation among the extended family was responsible for ensuring conflict resolution through consensus. |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| Due to escalating non-agricultural demands the agricultural sector, and in particular the major water user, irrigated rice production comes under growing pressure. There has been little recognition of this increasing phenomenon and its possible short and long term impacts on rural communities in Sri Lanka. Due to the Thuruwila Project aimed at supplying water to Anuradhapura, community is in fear of facing following problems: 1) The security of livelihood following the project is the major cause for concern for Thuruwila farmers. 2) Having enjoyed decision making rights over the use of the tank (although on diminishing scale after 1960) the community is seeing the proposed transfer alienating that ancient right. 3) The fear of further erosion of its Purana Gam characteristics and lifestyle due to the possible loss of paddy centred livelihood. 4) Water privatization is also one of the fears being faced by the community. |
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Changes in the Institution over time |
| Earlier the decisions regarding cultivation pattern, date of water issue, management of water rotations, crop type etc. were the sole prerogative of the community, but partial loss of decision-making rights was experienced with 1960 Agrarian Services Act, which reclassified Thuruwila from a Purana tank to an Irrigation Services reservoir. In 1994,the ID suggested the use of a medium sized tank sited 20 kms away from Anuradhapura , Thuruwila Wewa, as a storage tank for water supply. It was proposed that Thuruwila tank be used for temporary stocking or excess water from the large Mahaweli River project, which would release a daily supplementary intake of 25,000 cusecs. When the community finally realized the full implications of the project, a process of collective action culminating in a campaign of dissent claiming customary rights over the tank based on their long history of managing the tank was launched. When the matter went to the Suprem Court, the settlement was negotiated, whereby the SC upheld the right of the Thuruwila farmers to cultivate two seasons, giving priority to livelihoods. |
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Purpose |
| Maintenance and management of the utilization of village water reservoirs. |
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Country |
| Sri Lanka |
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Date Of Publication |
| RS-2006 |
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