Village organizational factors affecting water management decision-making among Punjab farmers

ABOUT FORTY THOUSAND MILES OF CANALS DELIVER WATER TO APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-FIVE MILLION ACRES. THE OVER-ALL PATTERN OF WATER FLOW IS FROM ONE OF THE MAJOR RIVERS TO MAJOR AND MINOR CANALS, THROUGH OUTLETS (MOGHAS) TO WATERCOURSES TO FARMERS" FIELDS. IN PUNJAB, THE NETWORK OF CANALS IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENT OF IRRIGATION. THIS DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE CANALS, THEIR MAJOR AND MINOR BRANCHES, THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE. EACH VILLAGE HAS ONE OR MORE MOGHAS WHOSE SIZE IS DETERMINED BY IRRIGATION OFFICIALS WHO IN TURN CONSTRUCT THE MOGHAS. THE FARMERS THEMSELVES CONSTRUCT A WATERCOURSE FROM THE MOGHA TO THEIR FARMS ALONG PROSCRIBED ROUTES. WITHIN THESE CONSTRAINTS, THE FARMERS COLLECTIVELY PROVIDE FOR WATERCOURSE CLEANING, MAINTENANCE, AND THE APPLICATION OF WATER TO THEIR FIELDS. THIS REPORT IS ON RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN 1973 ON THE WATER MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKING PATTERNS OF SELECTED FARMERS IN A SAMPLE OF FIFTEEN PUNJABI VILLAGES. THREE ASPECTS OF FARMER DECISION-MAKING WERE EMPHASIZED: 1) CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE OF WATERCOURSES, 2) CHANGING OF AGREEMENTS ABOUT THE WATER SCHEDULE, AND 3) INTERACTION WITH IRRIGATION AUTHORITIES. BASED ON THESE ASPECTS, SEVEN HYPOTHESES WERE FORMULATED WHICH ARE DETAILED AND DISCUSSED HERE: 1) SINGLE OR MULTI-CASTE VILLAGES WILL MOBILIZE MORE COLLECTIVE EFFORT FOR IMPROVING DOUBLE-CASTE VILLAGES. 2) THE LARGER THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS SHARING A WATERCOURSE, THE WORSE THE COLLECTIVE WATER MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKING WILL BE. 3) VILLAGERS NEAR THE WATERCOURSE TAIL WILL MAKE MORE EFFORT TO CLEAN IT THAN WILL THOSE NEAR THE WATERCOURSE HEAD. 4) FARMERS NEAR THE WATERCOURSE TAIL WILL INTERACT MORE WITH IRRIGATION OFFICIALS ABOUT WATER LOSSES THAN THOSE NEAR THE HEAD. 5) THE GREATER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SMALLEST AND THE LARGEST LANDOWNERS ACTUALLY WORKING THE LAND, THE GREATER THE PRESSURE TO CHANGE WATER SCHEDULE AGREEMENTS. 6) THE IRRIGATION BUREAUCRACY RESPONDS BETTER TO PROBLEMS IN VILLAGES DOMINATED BY LARGE LANDLORDS THAN TO THOSE IN VILLAGES INHABITED ENTIRELY BY SMALL FARMERS. 7) PUBLIC TUBEWELLS ON A WATERCOURSE INCREASE THE NEED FOR CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE BUT REDUCE THE EFFORT GIVEN TO THOSE TASKS.