Water Management in Developing Country A Case Study of a Watershed Development Program in the State of Bihar, India

1. Water Management in Developing Country
A Case Study of a Watershed Development Program
in
the State of Bihar, India
A.N.College,Patna

2. WE ALREADY INHABIT A WATER SCARCE WORLD

3. Most hungry and poor people live where water
challenges pose a constraint to food production
The semi-arid and arid tropics: 840 million malnourished people

4. Traditional Water Management
A Practical Solution to Water Scarcity
Which Works in Bihar

5. Water Resources Development

6. Different Approaches

7. In – situ Conservation
30*40 model
Staggered Trenching

8. Water Harvesting Structure
Check Dam
Pond

9. Lift Irrigation
Well Irrigation
River Based
Stream Based

10. Traditional Water Harvesting Structures
Ahar Pyne Phad System

11. Diversion Based Irrigation
Pipe Based
Open Channel Based

12. Diversion Based Irrigation Management (DBIM)

13. Araghatta, Ghati Yantra, Ghati Chakra, Rahat, Raghat,
Rehat, Persian Wheel, …….

14. Bullocks at work-Water Lifting Devise

15. Rehat or Persian wheel, Udaipur District
Rajasthan India

16. Chadas Box

17. Step Well at Modhera, Gujrat

18. Pulley Circa 1117 A.D. Belur Temple,Karnataka

19. The wheel of life...Chakra...

20. Young lad with a bright future, Persian wheel with a
glorious past..the last of the Persian wheel, Karnataka

21. Watershed works and tank de-silting helps fill this open
well. Rice grows with its water

22. Windlass, well, water...

23. Replicable Approaches …….
• In - situ conservation
• Water Harvesting
Structures
• Lift Irrigation Model
• Traditional Water
harvesting Structure
• Diversion Based
irrigation

24. OUR WATER MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE AT
CHANAN (Banka District),BIHAR

25. Introduction
• The background – lack of
proper Water Management
practices in areas of
moderate rainfall of east-
central India
• Lack of proper utilization of
monsoon rainwater – Low
agricultural productivity –
subsistence agriculture
propagating poverty
• Development approaches-
top-down vs. bottom-up
approaches
• Growing importance of
participatory approach in
developing economies.

26. Study area: The Chandan River Basin
CHANDAN RIVER BASIN
INDIA BANGLADESH
Heth Chanan
Bara Tanr

27. SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECTS
• The total population is approx. 5250 persons,
& total no. of households are 920.
• The literacy rate is 28.7%. The female literacy
rate is only 14%.
• The number of women in the 16-60 years age
group is 1478.
• Cultural transition required

28. Economic aspects
• Categorization of the area’s population as
mainly “below poverty line” (BPL).
• Low agricultural lead and low income
generation for farmers attributed to uneven
rainfall distribution, absence of water
harvesting structures, and soil and water
conservation methods.
• Out-migration of working male population
was a serious problem

29. Integrated Watershed management- a holistic
development initiative
• A micro-level development initiative was
launched in Bihar in 2007 through public
private partnership and participatory
approach for a sustainable rural economy.
• Positive outcomes within short span of time
- Sustained Agricultural productivity.
- Economic diversification following
agricultural surplus, halting of out migration,
gender equity.

30. Why Diversion Bases Irrigation ?
Enables poor farmers
living in difficult terrains
to double their incomes
by taking the second crop
using diverted water
flows.
Technically such schemes
are feasible in far
flung, remote and tribal
areas usually facing
neglect by the State.
Investments is less
compared to other
source of irrigation.
O & M cost is less.

31. Methodology
• Obtaining data on physical and social parameters of the
study areas
• Inputs from maps , GPS and GIS database- detailed study of
topographical maps that helped to decide upon soil and
water conservation methods.
• Interviews with stakeholders to obtain feedback on
development strategies followed.
• Community organization and participation with stress on
gender representation.
• EIA study to gauge the sustainability of this project.
• To present a holistic model of rural development in India

32. Community Organization
Self Help Groups
Tola of Women &
Representatives Landless Persons
Village Village Farmers
Planning Watershed Club
Committee Committee
Village
Cooperative
Societies
Apex Cooperative

33. Obstacles in implementing the
program
• Problem of local
acceptance
• Problem from
local politicians
• Problem of
women’s
participation

34. Steps in motivating Community Participation
• Living within the village
community, and exchanging
of views through discussions
& meetings
• Building of first check dams
to conserve water-
motivation for others to join
• Formation of groups or
TOLAs as first step of village
organisation
• Gender representation
• Watershed Community
CAPACITY BUILDING PHASE
• Gaining trust by servant
leadership

35. Watershed Management in Chandan River Basin
Initial stages……………………………
2007 2007

36. Implementing the Watershed Management techniques
CONTOUR BUNDING
2007

37. TRENCHES & REVIVAL OF WATER PONDS

38. STONE OUTLETS & EARTHEN GULLY PLUGS
2008

39. LAND TREATMENT & CONSTRUCTED PONDS
2009

40. Check Dams
Check Dam at Chanan
River Bed Stream at Chanan

41. OUTCOME – INCREASED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
• Merging of scientific
& engineering
calculations with
traditional
knowledge for
improved water
retention and
sustained
agricultural growth.
• Improved economic
status
2010

42. Outcome…….2010

43. REFORESTATION

44. Soil Erosion

45. Better Watershed Management – Avoiding Erosion
2010

46. Good for bath too……Happy ?
2010

47. DETAILS OF HETH CHANAN & BARA TANR WATERSHED AREAS
HETH CHANAN BARA TANR
Total area 1338.93 ha 1160.46 ha
Government Forest 306.54 ha. 155.07
Public Land 7.62 ha 7.55 ha
Land occupied by households 6.13 ha. 2.55 ha
Seasonally irrigated 22.42 ha 19.50 ha
Perennially irrigated 17.19 ha 13.15 ha
Rainfed area 535.92 ha 559.78 ha
Fallow land 340.60 ha 277.14 ha
Unculturable waste 203.40 ha 118.78 ha
Not available for treatment 3.68 ha 0.00 ha
Treated area (Till Date) 1019.44 ha 988.35 ha.

48. Extension activities to augment and sustain
the watershed management schemes
Solar Energy
Application
Literacy Extension Employment
campaign activities Generation
Women
Empowerment

49. THE ENERGY SOURCE---
Solar Panels in Daily Charging of
the Community Solar lamps in A Solar Lamp in
Centre the Community use
Centre

50. Scientific and technical aspects to augment
agricultural & other development activities
• Vermicomposting
• Textile (Handloom) industry
• Other cottage industries

51. Gender equity & emancipation
• Women representation in Village Community Groups &
Watershed Community.
• Women Self help Groups (WSHGs) formed with financial
institution linkages for providing credit to run the textile
looms, other cottage industries and solar lamp battery
charging centers.
• All WSHGs combine to send representatives to the Village
Planning Committee - “Owner of the project”.
• Allocation of 7.5 % of total project cost towards women
support schemes= revolving fund- interest receivables are
ploughed back to this fund.

52. Utilization of Local Inputs
• Traditional knowledge base
• Local resources
• Formation of VWC, VPC & Farmers’ Club for
transfer of technologies, quality control of
agro-industrial products, marketing of
produce and coordination with banks.
• Creation of local demand-supply networks, &
then linking them with district, state and
national network.

53. Inter-sectoral integration for
sustainable productivity
NABARD
Other
Financial IRA
Institutions
Industrial &
Village
Marketing
Community
Institutions

54. Socio-cultural success factors
• Servant leadership, reliable ,committed
expertise , and open
• Learning process – public role of women,
ordinary people having a say, cooperation of
many institutions (civil society),confidence in
change in place of uncertainty avoidance

55. Sustainable impacts of the Heth Chanan &
Bara Tanr Watershed Programs
• Gender emancipation through income
generation
Community • Rise in Literacy levels
• Reduction in male out-migration
development • Community integration through democratic
participation in socio-economic spheres.
Economic
• Agro-based industries
diversification • Cottage industries
complemented with • Rural marketing of agricultural & industrial
produce
solar energy use
• Prevention of soil erosion; water
conservation; higher soil moisture content;
Watershed schemes expansion of arable land
• Multi cropped intense agricultural
productivity; Agricultural surplus

56. Water is precious – Conserve it

57. Acknowledgements
National Bank for Agriculture and Development
(NABARD), Patna Regional Office, India.
Indian Rural Association (IRA), Banka , Bihar,
India.

58. Thank You for your attention !!!