Challenges in Participatory Irrigation Management in Maharashtra
Droughts are not new to Maharashtra. While one-third of its talukas experience variable levels of droughts and water stress, climate change is expected to further affect water availability in the state due to increase in temperature and rainfall. It is predicted that while certain regions will experience more rainfall, others like those in south Maharashtra will experience more dry days leading to adverse impacts on water, agriculture, and farmers’ livelihoods
The use of water for agriculture in the state is highly uneven, and access to water is highly inequitable and affected by class, caste and gendered hierarchies. Participatory irrigation management (PIM) that empowers farmers to manage irrigation systems through Water User Associations (WUAs), have been formed to cope with these inequalities in the state under the 2005 MMISF Act and oversee irrigation systems, manage water entitlements, set tariffs, resolve disputes, and enhance farmer participation.
However, PIM implementation faces a number of challenges due to poor collective crop planning based on water availability, lack of use of standardised norms for water budgeting and poor crop planning based on seasonal water availability. In addition, WUAs inadequately represent women and marginalised groups like Dalits and technical expertise and data for monitoring water use are lacking.
Atapadi village in Maharashtra, an exception against this background
Atpadi, a taluka in Sangli district of southern Maharashtra and situated in the rain-shadow of the Western Ghats however has proved to be an exception against this background. Often referred to as ‘the land of dushkal (droughts)’ and having experienced one of its worst droughts in 2012, 2016 and 2019, the region turned around its situation through farmers’ movement – the Samanyayi Pani Vatap Sangharsh Chalwal that started in the 1980s.
The Maharashtra government had agreed to sanction funds for the Tembhu Lift Irrigation Scheme (TLIS), which would lift water from the Krishna Basin in five stages and provide water to drought affected regions of Sangli, Satara and Solapur districts with Atpadi being one of them.
The movement negotiated with the government to redistribute water in an equitable manner in Atpadi, ensuring that every home, regardless of land ownership, received at least 5000 m3 of water annually.
Now, water from the TLIS, along with local water in the form of both groundwater and surface water will need to be managed in an integrated and participatory manner by cluster Water Users Associations (WUAs) to ensure sustainable and fair allocation to all households including the landless.
Ensuring water for all by using digital technology
Can digital technology aid in helping WUAs to take better decisions and manage, govern and distribute water equitably, transparently and sustainably in the region?
A pilot action research project undertaken by Society for Promoting Participatory Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM) and TMG Research in the region explored the extent to which digital tools can enable farmers to improve integrated water management and governance by co-developing and co-piloting a digital application jointly with the WUAs.
Digitalisation was not understood as an end goal but as a tool to empower farmers, enabling them to make informed decisions on integrated, equitable, sustainable and participatory water management.
What is E-PAVAS? A customised digital app to aid WUAs
A customised digital application, E-PAVAS (ई- पावसं), was developed to assist WUAs. E-PAVAS stands for “Electronic Paani Vapar Sanstha,” and aims to improve transparency within WUAs and ensure integrated, equitable water distribution and sustainable water use.
The app aids in monitoring water demand, grievance reporting and data visualisation. It consists of two main components that support the functions of the WUAs namely, the E-PAVAS mobile application and the E-PAVAS web portal.
The mobile application is designed for WUA members (farmers). It supports individual WUA members in the submission of water demand forms and in reporting problems such as water shortages or system breakages.
It also assists WUA management through a Web interface that consolidates crop and seasonal water demand data, checks these against the WUA’s water quota, and helps prepare irrigation schedules. The app notifies members of their water allocation schedules and generates records required for compliance with the MMISF Act, thus aiding with member-specific water tariffs, whether area-based or volumetric. E-PAVAS also serves as a communication channel, allowing WUA management to update members directly. The app complies fully with India’s data protection laws.
How was the E - PAVAS app developed in India?
E-PAVAS was developed through a participatory process that assessed the need for the app through focus group discussions (FDGs) with farmers, including women and marginalised communities. After its development and testing, the app was piloted in two WUAs in the Sangola block of Solapur district, as part of the Buddhihal Medium Irrigation Project, which includes a federation of 16 WUAs. Following the successful implementation of E-PAVAS in these two WUAs, the app was extended to 13 other WUAs within the Buddhihal Irrigation Project Federation and 7 WUAs in Atpadi.
After completing the guidance phase for E-PAVAS in the two WUAs in Sangola, the Federation requested its implementation in the remaining 13 WUAs. Meanwhile, in February, seven WUAs were also formed in Atpadi, and E-PAVAS was implemented in Atpadi block.
Additionally, the same baseline survey was repeated in four more WUAs from the middle and tail regions of the Buddhihal Medium Irrigation Project: Khandoba Pani Vapar Sanstha, Shetkari Pani Vapar Sanstha, Jay Hanuman Pani Vapar Sanstha, and Sayajirao Dhaygude Pani Vapar Sanstha. These four WUAs were selected based on recommendations from the Federation.
Please view this short film on E-PAVAS at this link
How have farmers responded to E-PAVAS?
Initial monitoring results show that E PAVAS has the following advantages:
Simple and user friendly interface has led to widespread adoption: About 5,000 farmers have downloaded and actively use E-PAVAS. The app’s simple interface makes it user-friendly, thanks to multiple login options on shared devices.
It is easy to file water demands and complaints: Farmers can submit water demand and complaint forms directly via the app, eliminating the need for physical forms. This has improved convenience and reduced transaction costs.
The app ensures transparency and reliability: The digital submission of forms means that requests go directly into the system, ensuring they aren’t lost or overlooked. E-PAVAS makes WUA data, such as irrigation schedules, accessible and secure, reinforcing transparency.
It aids two way communication and provides regular updates: The app is not merely a tool for submitting requests; it also updates farmers on irrigation rotation cycles and water allocation, keeping members informed and fostering a responsive management structure within the WUA.
E-PAVAS is scalable across Maharashtra:. E-PAVAS can facilitate seasonal planning, monitor water use, and enforce usage quotas while ensuring the state Water Resources Department (WRD) meets its commitments. With its emphasis on community involvement and transparency, E-PAVAS has the potential to revolutionize water governance across the state.
However, its successful adoption across Maharashtra will need some policy level actions such as:
Official endorsement: Formal endorsement of E-PAVAS as a state approved app by WRD will help encourage its adoption by all WUAs and aid in streamlining irrigation project management, foster consistency in WUA practices, and set standards for robust data governance.
Incentives for adoption: Provision of incentives by the WRD such as for example, offering WUAs a five percent discount on water charges if they integrate it into their management practices will encourage broader usage while reinforcing the WRD’s commitment to digital transformation.
Digital infrastructure investment: Provision of grants by WRD such as for example, one-time financial grants of approximately 200 per hectare for each WUA service area will encourage adoption of E-PAVAS. This funding will help WUAs acquire essential tools, such as computers and internet connectivity. WUAs need to gather accurate data on members while complying with data protection rules to make E PAVAS operational. Additional funding (of approx. 300 per hectare) can be allocated for WUAs to gather essential data and manage the digital system.
Training for WUA members and leadership: Phased capacity building programmes will enable WUA members and leaders to fully leverage the advantages of E-PAVAS. Training programs should focus on app functionality, data management, data privacy governance and effective use of real-time information.
NGO and CSO support is very important in handholding digital tools because they are the pioneers in community engagement and support the government in implementing and upscaling across the state.
For WUAs to function effectively, three key elements are essential: transparency, participation, and accountability. E-PAVAS ensures:
Transparency: By securely storing all information and ensuring that records are not deleted. This provides WUA members ease of access to information thus enhancing system transparency.
Participation: By reducing the reliance on paper forms and eliminating the need for farmers to travel to distant WUA offices to submit demands or file complaints. Through enabling virtual interactions, it helps farmers within the WUAs to remain connected to each other.
Accountability: That accurate information is shared with all members and that complaints are addressed, thus ensuring accountability within the system.
The app will now need to be piloted in a few more sites across different agroclimatic zones in Maharashtra and then the experience used to further refine it.
The information and policy briefs on E -PAVAS are attached below: