The Rajasthan Farmers Participation in Management of Irrigation Systems Act (2000)

The Rajasthan Farmers Participation in Management of Irrigation Systems Act (2000) provides for farmers participation in the Management of Irrigation System and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The act provides for the delineation of water users' area and territorial constituencies. The Project Authority may, by notification delineate every command area under each of the irrigation systems on a hydraulic basis which may be administratively viable and declare it to be a water users area for the purpose of this Act. Every water users' area shall be divided into territorial constituencies which shall not be less than four but not more than ten, as may be prescribed.

The objects of the Farmers' Organisation shall be to promote and secure distribution of water among its users, adequate maintenance of the irrigation system, efficient and economical utilisation of water to optimize agricultural production, to protect the environment, and to ensure ecological balance by involving the farmers, including a sense of ownership of the irrigation system in accordance with the water budget and the operational plan. 

The Water Users' Association shall perform the following functions, namely -

• to prepare and implement a warabandi schedule for each irrigation season, consistent with the operational plan, based upon the entitlement, area, soil and cropping pattern; 
• to prepare a plan for the maintenance, extension, improvements, renovation and modernisation of irrigation system in the area of its operation and carry out such works of both distributary system and field drains in its area of operation with the funds of the association from time to time; 
• to regulate the use of water among the various outlets under its area of operation according to the warabandi schedule of the system; 
• to promote economy in the use of water allocated;
• to prepare demand and collect water charges; 
• to maintain a register of land owners as published by the revenue department;
• to prepare and maintain an inventory of the irrigation system within the area of operation; 
• to monitor flow of water for irrigation; 
• to resolve the disputes, if any, between its Members and water users in  its area of operation;
• to raise resources; 
• to maintain accounts;
• to cause annual audit of its accounts; 
• to assist in the conduct of elections to the Managing Committee; 
• to maintain such other records, as may be prescribed; 
• to abide by the decisions of the Distributary and Project Committee; 
• to conduct General Body meeting in the manner, as may be prescribed;
• to encourage avenue plantation on canal bunds and tank bunds by leasing such bunds, and 
• to conduct regular water budgeting and also to conduct periodical social audit in the manner, as may be prescribed.  

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