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| Institutions for Irrigation Mangement In Farmer-Managed Systems - - Case study on Gravitation Irrigation System in Hill Region of Nepal (Chherlung Irrigation System) |
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Reference |
| Martin,Edward D; Yoder, Robert: 1987 "Institutions for Irrigation Mangement In Farmer-Managed Systems: Examples from the Hills of Nepal, International Irrigation Management Institute: Srilanka |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| This record has tried to analyse the institutions employed by the farmers for the management of gravity irrigation systems in the hill region of western Nepal.Chherlung system is in Baugha Gumha village Panchayat located in Palpa dist. Between Ridi Bazaar and Ranighat(refer Fig 2). Here there are three irrigation system .The smallest system serves less than 10 hectares and is supplied with water by a spring near the command area, it has an informal organization.The other two systems are called Thulo Kulo(large canal) and Tallo Kulo(lower canal).The former has 105 members and the latter has 60 members.The soils are well drained with high percolation rates |
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Coverage of the Institution |
| This same type of device for proportioning water distribution is found in many of the irrigation systems in western Nepal.They ae called by different names as: "pani dhara", "khat bunda", "penaro" etc. |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spatial: The irrigation system is located on the river terraces 100-200 metres above the Kali Gandaki River at an elevation of about 650 metres
Social: Rice is the preferred staple food in Chherlung, accordingly the technology and organization developed by farmers are primarily for rice cultivation.Membership in the irrigation organization is limited to those who have the right to water for growing rice in the monsoon season, even though other farmers have access to water from the system in other season for other crops.According to local tradition and Nepali law, the first farmer or group of farmers to develop a water source can claim the right, at the point of the diversion from the stream, to all of the water that they need for cultivation.
Access to water for growing rice in Chherlung Thulo Kulo system and membership is limited to households that own at least a fraction of a share in the system.The ownership of transferable shares also existed as the method of water allocation |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| The organization have a "mukhiya"(leader) and a secretary who are elected by the members.The current officers could be displaced if members were dissatisfied with their performance.The mukhiya is responsible for organizing and supervising work done on the system, and the secretary keeps the accounts, a record of members water allocation and attendance at work, and minutes of the organization's meetings.As remuneration the number of workers these officers must supply for maintenance work, based on their water allocation is reduced.If the number of workers that they would have to provide is less than the remuneration they are due, the balance is paid to the in cash at the local daily wage rate ???
The organization have a meeting of the members in mid-May.At this meeting plans are made for the major annual maintenance which begins shortly thereafter, new officers are elected if necessary, and operating rules for the coming monsoon season are reviewed and amended as needed.The accounts are presented for a review at a meeting after rice harvest in the fall.Other meetings may be held throughout the year if decisions about system operation need to be made
Maintenance: Major routine maintenance is done in late May and June to prepare the system for the monsoon season when efficient water delivery is important for rice cultivation.The diversion and canal walls are repaired to reduce leakage , the silt and weeds are cleaned from the entire lengh of the canal, and sections of the canal are lined with clay to reduce seepage.This usually takes place between two and three weeks.
Members contribute labor and cash according to the number of shares they own in the system.A household with one share is required to supply one man each day of ordinary maintenance, while one with two shares must provide two workers each day (refer table 3). In case of emergency each member household must supply one man, irrespective of its water allocation
The system levy cash fines against members who are absent from work.The fine for missing a day of ordinary maintenance is set near the local daily wage rate , Rs 10 (1982). In case of emergency, the fine rate is increased to encourage a higher rate of attendance. The cash that is raised through fines is invested in maintenance and improvement of the system.Unless it is spent , the money can be loaned to members who pay interest to the organization
The organization is quite strict about enforcing its rules and collecting fines, once in Chherlung it was reported that a man did not report for emergency maintenance for several days. When his fine was levied and he refused to pay, a group of members confiscated his cooking pots and threatened to sell them to pay his fine. Within a day or two , he paid the fine and recovered his cooking pots. |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| Most of the farmers grow three crops:rice(monsoon), wheat(winter) and maize(pre-monsoon).The water supply here is very limited in the premonsoon season, in order to provide equitable irrigation benefits among the members water is allocated on a priority basis for maize.Since maize is a less water intensive crop than rice, all of the hydraulic command area can grow irrigated maize
Rice is the preferred staple food in Chherlung, accordingly the technology and organization developed by farmers are primarily for rice cultivation
Saachos (Key)are used to distribute water by continuous flow in accordance with the pattern of water allocation.A "Saacho" is a proportioning weir that the farmers install in the canal with two or more rectangular openings for the water to flow through. By having the bottom of each opening at the same elevation, the flow in the canal can be divided into parts that equal the ratio of the width of each opening to the total width of all the openings.In Chherlung, saachos are used only to distribute water from the main canal into secondary canals. The group of farmers below the saacho is then responsible to apportion the water among their fields. When the discharge is adequate, the flow into each field is controlled by adjusting the size of the opening in the earth bund and by placing stones and mud in the canal to divert part of the water When the supply is insufficient to provide continuous flow to the entire area at once, a timed rotation system of distribution is initiated. A typical rotation cycle was 36 hours. By setting the length of the rotation cycle at 36 hours, the irrigation turn for each farmer alternated from day to night.
In Chherlung the most demanding irrigation period each year is at maize planting time in mid-April. Full authority for the allocation of water for maize planting is given to the "mukhiya". All requests for water must be made to him , he assigns water delivery to each farmer's field in the order in which requests are received.The mukhiya decides, on the basis of requests for water each day, what portion of each farmer's field (how many terraces...)will be irrigated in his turn. |
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Country |
| Nepal |
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Region |
| Dist:Palpa |
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Date Of Publication |
| RS-3/04/96 |
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