Total quantity of water required for wet crop for 120 days of crop irrigated period at the rate of 2300 cusecs is 24 TMC. Total quantity of water required for irrigated dry crop for 60 irrigation days at the rate of 2300 cusecs is 12 TMC.

COMMAND AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The Command Area Development Programme sponsored by the Central and State Government were taken up in the command area of LBP from the year 1982-83 to 1998-99. Under the guidelines of the Central Government, the above was taken up by the Agricultural Engineering Department, Government of Tamil Nadu.

On Farm Development works like the lining of open field channels, laying of underground pipelines, construction of division box, diversion box, cart track crossing, inverted siphon, etc,. were taken up in each sluice level according to the requirements. The survey, preparation of estimates, execution of works were carried out by the Technical wing of the Agricultural Engg Dept. The entire programme was
completed in the year 1998-99. The above works facilitates distribution network and infrastructure  and regulate the water below sluice outlet.

The planning for construction of field channels was done by taking into the consideration of the needs of the head reach farmers so that their interference was eliminated by giving way to tail end farmers for irrigation water. This was the starting point for establishing equity in the entire sluice command. This has been achieved in all the project using the optimum flow block concept.

By adopting optimum flow concept the discharge allowed through the sluice was divided and distributed through the field channel dividing the whole sluice command into the different blocks and conveying the stream size (flow selected at the block level) through field channels.

Rotation Water Supply (Warabhandi) Scheme also implemented in the Command area by way of preparing predetermined schedule specifying the day, time and duration of supply to each irrigation in proportion to holding in an outlet command.

FARMERS PARTICIPATION

At the farm level, the participation of the farmers play a major role in the execution of command area development works and in ensuring the equitable distribution of irrigation water to each individual field at the right place with a right quantity as per the requirements of the crops. This participatory approach is now being intensified and enlarged to achieve the transfer of responsibilities of operation and maintenance to farmers council for effective participatory irrigation management (PIM).

In LBP ayacut area initially sluice association was formed upto 100 acre level and branch committees were formed upto 500 acres and finally the farmers council (Water Users Association) was formed with 2000 to 2500 hectare of hydrological boundary. The office bearers of the farmers councils were elected democratically and the councils was registered under the Registration of Societies Act. Every year the farmers councils are to be audited by the competent authority and renewed by the Registration Department.

In second stage, distributary committees were formed with participation of 6 to 7 farmers council (water users association). Here, disputes involving more than one farmers councils are resolved in the distributary committee meeting.

Finally, farmers federation was formed at project level to oversee the entire command area which is the apex body. The functions of the apex body are regular interaction with the Government and the District Collector regarding the date of release of water,
resolving the disputes among the distributary committees and then oversee the functioning of the farmers councils.

The entire LBP ayacut area divided into 3 reaches namely, Upper Reach, Middle Reach and Lower Reach. The upper reach consists of U1 to U10 a total of 12 farmers council, the middle reach M1 to M13 a total of 17 farmers council, and Lower reach L1 to L15 a total of 15 farmers council, and thus total in 44 farmers councils were formed by the efforts of the Agricultural Engineer Department.

The one time functioning grant of Rs.450/-per hectare (Central Share Rs.225/-, state share Rs.225/-) was released to the farmers council on receipt of farmers contribution of Rs.50/- per hectare. The functional grant and farmers contribution were deposited in the Nationalised Banks in the name of Superintendent Engineer, Agricultural Engg. Department, and the President of the respective farmers council.

Now, Public Works Department also releases grant to farmers council as a maintenance grant at the rate of Rs.100/- per hectare per year. This also supplements the fund position of the farmers council to a  certain  extent. State government is now proposing general election to all the water user association through Revenue Department. On completion of general election, the process of handing over the Operation and Maintenance to the Farmers council will take momentum. As interest rate is declining, the amount available for the maintenance also decreases, thus farmer councils are dire need of additional grant from the Govt for the benefit of the ryots.