Crop per drop of diesel!: energy-squeeze on India’s smallholder irrigation

Groundwater irrigationTube wellsPumpsEnergyFuelsDiesel oilPricesWater marketRainfed farmingRiceShare croppingWages

Real-time co-management of electricity and groundwater: an assessment of Gujarat’s pioneering Jyotirgram Scheme

Tube well irrigationWellsPumpsElectrificationFarmers attitudesShare croppingPovertyUser chargesRural economy

Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India

In the arid and semi- arid Indian state of Rajasthan, tanks and ponds have been a mainstay of rural communities for centuries. There are over 4600 large minor irrigation tanks, plus numerous johads, bandhs and pals (small water harvesting structures). This paper assesses a strategy proposed for rehabilitating 1200 of the larger tanks. It argues that treating tanks only as flow irrigation systems—which lies at the center of the mainstream thinking on rehabilitating surface irrigation systems is very likely to result in a flawed strategy when applied to tanks. Instead, reviewing the successful experience of NGOs like PRADAN and Tarun Bharat Sangh in reviving and rehabilitating clusters of small traditional water harvesting structures at a watershed level, it posits that Rajasthan's tanks belong more to the watershed development domain than to the irrigation domain and that a strategy that views tanks as multi-use socio-ecological constructs, and which recognizes varied stakeholder groups is more likely to enhance the social value of tanks.

Elixir or Opiate? An Assessment of Minor Irrigation Policies in North Bengal

/irrigation management / agricultural development / farmer managed irrigation systems / social aspects / organizations / farmers’ associations / subsidies / policy / participatory management / governmental interrelations / small scale systems / performance evaluation / economic aspects / deep tube wells / shallow tube wells / lift irrigation / rural development / poverty alleviation / pumps / technology transfer / cooperatives / mechanization / institutions / leadership / India/

Irrigation Management in Pakistan and India: Comparing Notes on Institutions and Policies

irrigation management / productivity / privatization / irrigated farming / equity / water distribution / groundwater management / economic aspects / tube wells / price policy / electricity supplies / pumps / India / Pakistan /

Locating the poor: Spatially disaggregated poverty maps for Sri Lanka

poverty / mapping / Sri Lanka

Benefits of irrigation water transfers in the National River Linking Project: a case study of Godavari (Polavaram)-Krishna link in Andhra Pradesh

River basin managementDevelopment projectsWater scarcityWater transferGroundwater irrigationSurface irrigationLand useDamsRiceLivestock

Meeting India’s future water needs: policy options

River basinsWater shortageWater transferGroundwater irrigationWater productivity