Maharashtra minor irrigation

The evaluation covered the period 1984-7/91; the PACD is 9/92. The project has been highly successful in improving MIS system design/operations and in improving related staff competencies. All 90 planned new MIS"s have completed the first two of the project"s performance benchmarks, i.e., planning and design, and farmer participation in chak (field channel) layout; 59 have met requirements of the third (partial system completion); and 28 have reached the fourth (system completion). Diagnostic analysis of the 12 previously existing MIS"s is complete, and 7 of 8 planned pilot activities are in progress. Of the 52 hydro-meteorological stations planned, 32 have been constructed and 20 are in various stages of progress. Three Irrigation Department (ID) institutions have been created and another reorganized, and training in various water management-related subjects has been extended to 1,867 ID and Agricultural Department (AD) staff members. The new ID institutions are functioning effectively; the Liaison and Coordination Unit was in fact the catalyst of the project"s success. Unfortunately, the AD was unable to provide the proposed level of support and assistance had to be sought from State agricultural universities. Computerization of the irrigation management information system was vigorously pursued and is of potentially immense benefit to the management of irrigation schemes State-wide. Farmer outlet committees with good links to the ID have been established and exhibit guarded interest in establishing water user associations. The use of performance-oriented conditions, goals, and benchmarks was effective in improving project planning, design, farmer organization and participation, as well as in assuring balanced implementation. Performance and operational testing following benchmarks 3 and 4, respectively, have assured farmers they will receive adequate irrigation water. The project is expected to result not just in improved water delivery, but also in improved on-farm irrigation practices, while the hydro-electric stations should help Maharashtra modernize century-old runoff equations. Economically, the project has potential to increase cropping intensities, planting of high value crops, and the conjunctive use of groundwater. Also, the rapid growth in rabi (winter crop) irrigation is expected to increase agricultural employment.