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| Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems in Nepal |
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Reference |
| Pradhan, Prachanda: " Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems in Nepal.", Nepal Field Operations of International Irrigation Management Institute, Kathmandu. (Year of publishing is not mentioned, but reference has been made to articles from 1989). |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| The classical Nepalese poet Bhanu Bhakta Acharya contributed to the Chundi River Valley by constructing the Bhanu Bharah Irrigation System that feeds the plains of the area. Over time the irrigated area has expanded and is currently servicing 92 farmers in an area of 120 ha. In 1961 rules and regulations of the system were codified. Until then it had been managed by the family of Bhanu Bhaktar for over 4 generations, but now it was time for all the farmers in the system to participate in managing the system. |
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Coverage of the Institution |
| Geographical and historical coverage is not not reported. The institution is concurrent, but has episodic elements. |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| SPATIAL BOUNDARIES: The command area of the Bhanu Bharah irrigation system.
SOCIAL BOUNDARIES: None reported. Farmers within the command area. |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| In 1961 a committee of seven members was elected among the farmers. From then the members have had turns of one year which can be renewed. The committee consists of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and three other members. They meet every fortnight. The irrigation command is divided into five sub-areas. 5 of the members of the committee represents these sub-areas, and they are responsible for communicating with the farmers in each region. Written regulations describe the facilities of committee members and punishment and fines for rule violation.
MAINTENANCE: There are two types of maintenance; dam construction and main canal repair. Farmers will have to contribute to both activities. Farmers who do not participate will be fined. Committee members are partly exempt for contributing labour. The irrigation committee supervise maintenance on the mainsystem. The main canal is cleaned at least once a year and when this work has been done, farmers will clean the separate field channels. Also labor will be mobilized during crisis. During the wheat and early paddy season the group as such does not do maintenance work on the system, and farmers who grow crops in this period are responsible of the system themselves. |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| Written regulations mention the work divison among members, rules for water distribution in normal times and during stress periods. During the paddy season and the monsoon, access is usually free as water is plenty. Farmers will make outlets on the main canal when they need it. If there is shortage, a rotation system is introduced. Rotation schedules will be decided by the irrigation committee. Only a specified amount of water flow in proportion to the land to be irrigated is allowed. |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| Conlicts can be settled by the irrigation committee, or by the committee member which represents a subarea, but at farmlevel the farmers will often solve conflicts among themselves. Usually conflicts will occur when downstream farmers lack water |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| - |
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Changes in the Institution over time |
| The transition from a family-managed to a farmer-managed system seems to have been effective |
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Other Features of Institution |
| - |
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Purpose |
| Irrigation Management |
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Country |
| Nepal |
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Region |
| Chundi River Valley, Tanahau District |
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Date Of Publication |
| TroB 020496 |
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