Kamepalli Lenin Babu, Institute for SOical and Economic Change, Center for Ecological Economics and Natural REsources, lenin@isec.ac.in
Abstract
To enhance the productivity of resources invested in irrigation sector, Government of India, as the case in other developing economies, has opted for paradigm shift in governance by forming the „Water User Associations‟ and devolving the water governance. However, after a decade of its implementation, performance varies from place to place with a direct implication on income levels of agrarian community. In this study across three different states of India, results suggests that various factors such as a) lack of political will, b) capture of rural elite, c) lack of representation of all stakeholders, d) spread of Water User Association, e) leadership etc., are playing important role in either making or killing this meaningful shift. In this paper, we would like to discuss these aspects in detail. Key Words Irrigation, Participatory Irrigation Management,
Factors influencing User Group Management