ABSTRACT
Empty treasuries, management problems and the low productivity of many irrigation systems, have led to reform attempts like Participatory Irrigation Management. Water Users’ Associations have been involved in water allocation, maintenance and collection in all parts of the world, including India. Many of these attempts are proving insufficient The World Bank regards άφώβηάβϊ in the supporting framework, weak political backing, poor understanding of the concept in civil society, and assigning tasks to user associations too early—without corresponding capacity-building—as the most common reasons for the failures.
This study focuses on the concept of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in irrigation. It attempts to understand and clarify the role and opportunities for professional third parties (private companies/non governmental Organizations (NGOs)) by evaluating (PPP) through Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) in the inigation sector in Gujarat and Karnataka. The study finds that the success of inigation cooperatives in Gujarat has more to do with the involvement of professional agencies like Development Support Centre and Agha Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP). PPP in the inigation sector must take into account financial and sociopolitical concerns like farmers3 capacity and their willingness to pay.
