Water Charges Collection by WUAs fruitful says S.M. Patil
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 19:18 | 
admin Since 2003, Water Management has been entrusted to eligible WUCs. Water will be supplied to every WUCs on a volumetric supply. Water is allocated to each WUCs based on the available water, tentative rainfall based on the time series data, and the indent placed by the WUCs in the command area. In Ghataprabha project, four out of six WUCs in one distributary canal is successfully implementing the water management and collecting water charges.
Water Charges Collection by WUAs fruitful says S.M. Patil
Mr. S.M. Patil, says Water Users Associations taking over collection of water charges collection from Revenue Department is advantageous to farmers, WUAs, irrigation system and Government. Mr. S.M. Patil is the President, JalaSpandana and President of Gurusidheshwara Water Users Cooperative Society in Ghataprabha Irrigation Project in Krishna Basin in Karnataka. (In Karnataka as the WUAs are registered under Cooperative Act, it is read as WUCs).
During the workshop on PIM in South India organised by JalaSpandana in October 2006 at Bangalore, he while orienting the representatives of WUAs from South India highlighted the importance of understanding the PIM policy including the water tax collection issue. He learnt the details of PIM policy in Karnataka and other states in India through JalaSpandana and Pragathi consistently organising meetings in several places. The representatives of WUAs are divided on the issue of taking over the responsibility of water charges collection and express fear to venture into it. In fact there are several advantages like structure rehabilitation regularly i.e. no deferred maintenance of canal structures, WUAs get revenue to run office and pay the staff salary, timely supply of water helps productivity and enhance the water use efficiency and also lead to improved livelihoods of the farmers. The WUCs can take up works that are important as decided by the General Body meeting and produce good quality and quantity work.
In the past farmers where managing the tanks, weirs and other irrigation infrastructure available at that time. The government started constructing the large dams and it took over the management of all irrigation infrastructures. There was a wide gap between the potential created and utilized.
In Karnataka Irrigation Act, under section 62 A, WUAs are empowered to take over water management, cropping pattern, volumetric supply, water pricing, Section 4, emphasizes on the construction and section 11, 14 says that farmers should do the repairs and if they do not do, government will do it. Since 2003, Water Management has been entrusted to eligible WUCs. Water will be supplied to every WUCs on a volumetric supply. Water is allocated to each WUCs based on the available water, tentative rainfall based on the time series data, and the indent placed by the WUCs in the command area. In Ghataprabha project, four out of six WUCs in one distributary canal is successfully implementing the water management and collecting water charges.
There are two tariffs chart given to WUCs, the tariff for water which the WUCs have to pay to government is Rs 12 per 1000 cubic meter of water, and the government also gives chart which specifies the crop wise water charges which the WUCs collect from the farmers. For example, in 2004, the water bill for GuruSidheshwara WUC in Ghataprabha Irrigation System is Rs 25000/- and the demand is Rupees 1,20,000/-. The WUCs gets rebate of 2 % for paying in time and 20 % for administration cost and Rs 40/hectare for Maintenance. The collection is possible when the representatives of WUCs take keen interest in the activities of WUCs.
He was also of the view that, As far as the policy is concerned, necessary provisions to strengthen WUCs are being made, now it is the task of the WUCs to function effectively. Otherwise, there is a threat that the entire water management will move away from farmers. In this connection there is also mention in the National Water Policy in Section13 about privatization, they may use this clause.
He appealed that the representatives of WUCs across the country must make best use of the existing PIM policy.
Water Charges Collection by WUAs fruitful says S.M. Patil
Mr. S.M. Patil, says Water Users Associations taking over collection of water charges collection from Revenue Department is advantageous to farmers, WUAs, irrigation system and Government. Mr. S.M. Patil is the President, JalaSpandana and President of Gurusidheshwara Water Users Cooperative Society in Ghataprabha Irrigation Project in Krishna Basin in Karnataka. (In Karnataka as the WUAs are registered under Cooperative Act, it is read as WUCs).
During the workshop on PIM in South India organised by JalaSpandana in October 2006 at Bangalore, he while orienting the representatives of WUAs from South India highlighted the importance of understanding the PIM policy including the water tax collection issue. He learnt the details of PIM policy in Karnataka and other states in India through JalaSpandana and Pragathi consistently organising meetings in several places. The representatives of WUAs are divided on the issue of taking over the responsibility of water charges collection and express fear to venture into it. In fact there are several advantages like structure rehabilitation regularly i.e. no deferred maintenance of canal structures, WUAs get revenue to run office and pay the staff salary, timely supply of water helps productivity and enhance the water use efficiency and also lead to improved livelihoods of the farmers. The WUCs can take up works that are important as decided by the General Body meeting and produce good quality and quantity work.
In the past farmers where managing the tanks, weirs and other irrigation infrastructure available at that time. The government started constructing the large dams and it took over the management of all irrigation infrastructures. There was a wide gap between the potential created and utilized.
In Karnataka Irrigation Act, under section 62 A, WUAs are empowered to take over water management, cropping pattern, volumetric supply, water pricing, Section 4, emphasizes on the construction and section 11, 14 says that farmers should do the repairs and if they do not do, government will do it. Since 2003, Water Management has been entrusted to eligible WUCs. Water will be supplied to every WUCs on a volumetric supply. Water is allocated to each WUCs based on the available water, tentative rainfall based on the time series data, and the indent placed by the WUCs in the command area. In Ghataprabha project, four out of six WUCs in one distributary canal is successfully implementing the water management and collecting water charges.
There are two tariffs chart given to WUCs, the tariff for water which the WUCs have to pay to government is Rs 12 per 1000 cubic meter of water, and the government also gives chart which specifies the crop wise water charges which the WUCs collect from the farmers. For example, in 2004, the water bill for GuruSidheshwara WUC in Ghataprabha Irrigation System is Rs 25000/- and the demand is Rupees 1,20,000/-. The WUCs gets rebate of 2 % for paying in time and 20 % for administration cost and Rs 40/hectare for Maintenance. The collection is possible when the representatives of WUCs take keen interest in the activities of WUCs.
He was also of the view that, As far as the policy is concerned, necessary provisions to strengthen WUCs are being made, now it is the task of the WUCs to function effectively. Otherwise, there is a threat that the entire water management will move away from farmers. In this connection there is also mention in the National Water Policy in Section13 about privatization, they may use this clause.
He appealed that the representatives of WUCs across the country must make best use of the existing PIM policy.
