Politics, Policy & People: Irrigation Governance in a South Indian State (Agricultural Issues and Policies)

Major canal system commands require huge investments and human resource to maintain them. Governments are increasingly failing in allocating the huge budgets required for the system maintenances and hence transferring the management to the user groups is an alternative solution to avoid the system decay and increased user participation results in better results in achieving production, efficiency and equity. The reforms are aimed to bring changes in both control and management of the canal water. The book, based on a PhD research, presents an in-depth understanding about the reform policy process and implementation in the state of Andhra Pradesh, a south Indian State. The main focus is to study the policy process of reforms (evolution and implementation) in irrigation sector in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The aim of the thesis is to contribute to the understanding of policy processes. The books central questions would be: How have the reforms in irrigation sector evolved and implemented? What the role of stakeholders in shaping the policy? What are the implications of the reform policy on system rehabilitation, access to canal water and viability of user organisations? The findings suggest the there has been changes in the irrigated acreage that are significant. But the claims of the state are clearly exaggerated. With the improvements in the irrigation infrastructure and maintenance access to water has been increased to the head reach farmers, the middle experiences some improvements, the tail reaches continues to have problems of irrigation assurance, reliability, quantity and time. The user associations have remained as implementing agencies rather than acting as the autonomous bodies. The quality of works in general improved but the sense of ownership was not cultivated among the users. The involvement of politics is evident. Policymaking in this book is argued as a political process. Different actors and their power interactions have played a crucial role in shaping the policy and implementation.