National
Seminar on “Inclusive Growth & Mass Media” on 20-21 July 2012 at
Aurangabad, Organized by Department of
Mass Communication & Journalism, Dr.BAMU, Aurangabad, Maharashtra and Media for Change (a Delhi based
organization) in collaboration with
Friedrich Ebert Stifiung, Germany
A NOTE ON INCLUSIVE GROWTH, WATER AND
MEDIA
-
Pradeep Purandare*
1.0 Introduction:
Inclusive
growth without water is impossible. But is the principle of inclusiveness
adhered to in letter & spirit while carrying out planning, design,
construction, operation & maintenance of Large Scale Public Sector
Irrigation Projects (LSPSIP)? Project Affected Persons (PAPs) on one hand &
potential beneficiaries i.e. irrigators on the other hand are directly
concerned with the processes related to LSPSIP. Are they really involved in
those processes? An attempt has been made in this brief note to identify the
processes & likely adverse effects if principle of inclusiveness is not
scrupulously followed. Mass media can of course play a positive role in
developing inclusiveness in the processes that lead to successful LSPSIP.
Considering such a potential of mass media, this note suggests that a formal
training programme in water-journalism may be developed exclusively for
journalists to promote inclusiveness in water sector.
2.0
Planning & Design:
Planning
& design of LSPSIP is supposed to be done in an interdisciplinary manner to
give justice to socio-economic & environmental issues besides engineering
aspects. However, it is a common experience that following things happen at the
time of planning & design itself at the cost of inclusiveness due to
political expediency
(1)
Particular
area is excluded from the command of LSPSIP even if it is technically possible
to irrigate that area;
(2)
Particular
area is included in the command area of LSPSIP even if it is technically more
difficult & comparatively costlier to irrigate that area;
(3) Particular area is submerged with malafied intentions;
(4) Non-irrigation & lift irrigation are
either not provided for - or not sufficiently provided for –at the time of
planning & design. Complete available water is allocated to flow irrigation
in the beginning & commands are developed accordingly. But later on part of
the water is diverted to non-irrigation & lift irrigation which obviously
reduces originally planned area under irrigation & deprive the irrigation
benefits to the original beneficiaries of LSPSIP.
(5)
Proper engineering arrangements are generally not done to control &
regulate flow of water. Water level - & discharge control is not adequately
provided for. Many irrigators therefore
either don’t get water or they face severe difficulties in getting water at
proper level & with design discharge.
3.0
Construction:
Following
disturbing things at the construction stage adversely affect inclusiveness
(1) Construction of dam is
completed & water is stored without satisfactory & complete
rehabilitation of PAPs;
(2)
Construction of dam only is completed & water is stored on priority basis
without even initiating the promised construction of canals & distribution
network;
(3) Necessary funds are either
not allocated or actually released to the projects ostensibly sanctioned for
the sake of removing regional imbalance;
(4) Necessary funds are either
not allocated or actually released to complete the construction of canals &
distribution network in the tail end portion of the project;
(5) Physical status of canals
& distribution network remains very poor right from the beginning; thanks
to the politics & corruption. This unfortunately leads to following:
1. Actual carrying capacity
significantly less than design capacity
2. Increased conveyance losses
3. Frequent breaches
4.
Difficulties in getting water at the tail end
5. Over
irrigation in head reach & deficit or no irrigation in tail reach
4.0 Water Management:
Even
though government’s official Policy, Acts & Rules, GRs & Circulars
& Manuals speak about all ideal things listed below; those are seldom
implemented in letter & spirit:
1.
Preparation of
Water Budget i.e. Preliminary Irrigation Programme (PIP). PIP gives details of
actual availability of water, crops to be irrigated, number of rotations
planned, irrigation interval, etc.
2.
Scrutiny &
sanction of water applications.
3.
Preparation of
water distribution programmes & irrigation schedules.
4.
Water level -
& discharge – control and regulation
5.
Measurement of
water & its official recording
6.
Distribution of
water for different purposes ( drinking, domestic, industrial, irrigation, etc)
as per PIP
7.
Effective &
timely action against theft of water, tampering, vandalism, any type of unauthorized
use of water & wastage of water
8.
Water Audit &
Benchmarking based on actual measurement of water, conveyance losses,
evaporation & area irrigated.
5.0
Maintenance & Repairs (M & R):
Timely
& adequate M & R, it is needless to say, is imperative to achieve
following:
1.
To maintain
actual carrying capacity of canals & distribution network close to design
carrying capacity
2.
To maintain
actual conveyance losses within permissible limits
3.
To scrupulously
adhere to water distribution programmes & irrigation schedules
In
absence of timely & adequate M & R, tail-enders & weaker sections mainly
suffer because they generally don’t have wells or any other alternative source
of water & they cannot afford expenditure on electricity or diesel.
6.0 Water Tariff:
Expenditure
on O & M and M & R is generally supposed to be met with by recovery of
water tariff. However, the existing machinery for assessment & collection
of water tariff is too weak & inefficient. As a result, the percentage of
recovery is very poor. It in turn affects availability of funds for O & M
and M & R. This leads to a vicious circle.
7.0
Transparent, Accountable & Participatory (TAP) Management:
Inclusive
development of water resources & equitable distribution of water is
possible if TAP principles are followed in practice. However, both politicians
& bureaucrats give only lip service to TAP approach. People in general too
don’t insist for TAP as they are not united /organized. The whole power structure at local level is
such that even the water users associations exist mainly on paper.
8.0 Water
Laws:
Though many
water laws have been enacted in Maharashtra, they are not implemented in the truest
sense of the term. There is just no awareness about the provisions in the water
laws amongst the people. Potential created due to water laws has virtually
remained unutilized. The fact that rules of Maharashtra Irrigation Act, 1976
have not been prepared even after almost 36 years speaks volumes about rule of
law in water sector.
9.0 Role of Mass Media:
In view of
points 1 to 8 above, the mass media can play a very important role in water
sector. It can certainly contribute in creating awareness & insist for TAP
approach. On this background, following
suggestions deserve attention of all concerned.
1.
On
the lines of agri-journalism it is now necessary to initiate water-journalism
in right earnest. Since devil is in details, would be water-journalists need to
be specially trained in various issues in water resources development &
management.
2.
Persons
with irrigated agriculture background from command areas of LSPSIP may be
selected as water journalists. They, being aggrieved party themselves, can make
the difference.
______________________________________________________________________________
*Retd.
Associate Professor (Irrigation Management), Water & Land Management
Institute (WALMI), Aurangabad.
Really Nice Sir..
ReplyDelete