Theme No.

2: Organizational Change, Country : Nepal

Water Users Associations (WUAs) for the Implementation of

Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) in Nepal
Prachanda Pradhan

Introduction:
From 1992, full or partial irrigation management transfers have been taking place in agency managed
systems of Nepal. The Irrigation Policy of Nepal states that all irrigation systems irrigating up to 2000 ha.
in the terai and 500 ha in the hills are to be fully transferred to farmer management. Hence, the
management transfer in the large systems has two components: a) improvement of infrastructure and b)
institutional capacity development. Regarding the second component, the WUA is to be strengthened along
with management transfer activity.
Study of WUA functioning of four systems:
It is proposed here to analyze the functioning of WUA in two large irrigation systems ( Kankai ,5000ha.
and Tilawee , 2800 ha.) under DOI direct management and two management transferred systems, namely
Khageri 4000ha. and West Gandak 10,000 ha. All these systems went through the process of WUA
formation, rules and regulations formulation and finally registered under Association Act of Nepal to
secure the legal status of WUA.
Role of WUA:
When management transfer takes place, new institutional arrangement has to take place and organizational
changes are made. In this context, the functions and responsibilities of management formally exercised by
the government agency , are transferred to WUA.. To enhance the capability of WUA, capacity
improvement programs are undertaken by the implementers of IMT.
Transition of Norms and Values.
It not only change of organizational chart. Many changes have to take place including the norms and values
governing those organizations.There are differences between the agency-management and farmer
management in relation to intrinsic values. The infrastructure in agency managed systems are designed
based on conventional engineering and agronomic practices that are derived from pre-assumed cropping
pattern and various assumptions like irrigation efficiency, effective rainfall, etc. The infrastructure in
farmer managed systems does not follow the standard engineering design. The differences in these two
systems are that the farmer managed systems function based on “ Social Control” whereas agency
managed systems attempts to achieve its objective through “ technical control”.
There are three major kinds of objectives in managing irrigation water: adequacy, equity and timeliness. In
most of the agency managed systems, the objective of adequacy dominates the operation plan In farmer
managed systems, equity objective is dominant. Equity is more significant than adequacy. It is necessary to
make the members feel willing to sustain the organization, they should feel that every one is getting a fair
share. This is important consideration of management transfer. However, there is negligence of this part of
transition of values and norms to make WUA functioning. With reference to those factors, those four
systems are tested.
Characteristics of four systems:
The characteristics of those four systems are given in the following table. In order to understand the status
of those four systems, the factors like status of transfer, participation of the members, mutual dependence
of the head and tail section, transparency of irrigation activities, accountability of WUA members,
resource mobilization for O&M, water distribution system, punishment for non-compliance, water right
question, formation of WUA committee, role and responsibility of General assembly and activities of
branch committees are to take into consideration.

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Characteristics of 4 Water Users Associations in Nepal
Irrigation System
Functioning of WUA
Participation of members
Mutual dependency between
head and tail
(water scarcity)
Transparency of irrigation
activities
Accountability of WUA
members
Resource Mobilization for
O&M
Water distribution by
collective decision
Punishment for non-
compliance
Water right definition
Formation of Executive
Committee of WUA
Role and responsibility of
General Assembly
Partcipates in activities at
branch canal level
Status of Transfer
Khageri West Gandak Kankai Narayani Block 6
(Tilawe)
Participation in Branch committee Branch committees
Branch level members participate inactive, no
meetings in meetings participation
Spring season: water No inter-dependency Water distribution: No interdependence,
available in 3 Secs at spring season in even between reaches
head. Monsoon: all rotation, monsoon within branch
Secs supplied continuous
Transparency No transparency. Transparency in 3 No activity, no
maintained. Records Records not open to transferred branches. transparency
open to members, the members. Kankai office decides
Branch canal Management for other canals
committees are open controlled by 4-5
people
Accountability at Small management Not clear WUA do not exist
central level not group formed, not
clear, branch level accountable to
accountable to the anybody
users
Main canal and head Resource Cash collected on Does not apply
work by DOI, branch mobilization from transferred branches
canal by cash other non-water but Kankai Project
collection sectors , no allocates budget for
contribution from other branches
farmers. DOI subsidy
for O&M
Water distrib. No water distribution At farmers’ request Does not apply
schedule prepared by schedule. Water dhalpa (ditch tender)
M/committee. released after distributes water
Supervision desilting
committee
implements
Implemented at Provisions exist but Provisions exist but No provision
branch canal level not enforced not enforced
Water shares defined Water shares defined Water shares defined Water shares not
defined
Committees exist at Committees exist but Committees for main No committee
main and branch inactive canal and branch
levels canals
General policy for To oversee system General policy for Does not apply
system management management, system management,
establish and monitor but DOI local office
rules & regulations decides many issues
Active in O&M and Not functioning Yes, limited Does not apply
water distribution
Joint mgt main and Fully transferred to 3 branches handed Status not clear
headworks, farmer WUAs over to users in a
manage branch canal form of informal joint
management
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Status of WUA:
After years of WUA functioning, the status of those four WUAs is measured by applying six indicators of
successful operation criteria

System Khageri West Gandak Kankai Block 6 NZIDP,

Tilawe
Success criteria
WUAs choose their Branches set their Objectives ill- Guided by the No objectives
own objectives own objectives defined agency
Select their own Elections at Main Politicized election Election process No elections
leaders and branch levels based on political
parties
Make and amend Yes Yes Yes No rules
their own rules
Collect and spend Fund collection at Declining fund M/Committee No fund collection
their own fund branch level collection at branch depends on funding
level from branches.
Branches depend on
DOI fund except
those transferred
bramches
Compliance Branch canals Anarchic Very weak No rules
with rules follow their own
rules
Subsidy by the DOI Subsidy for 90% cost of Transferred canals DOI-funded
headworks and main maintenance funded collect its own ISF
canal by DOI but other branches
receive subsidised.
for O&M

The result indicates that there is need of post-transfer services to WUA.. It is to be well defined so that the
level of dependency of WUA will gradually reduce and WUA moves toward “self-regulating, self-
governing and self –supporting” system.

Will WUA be able to sustain and improve performance in irrigated agriculture? The observations show that
situation is not stable, fund through internal resource mobilization could not be collected. Maintenance is
not up to the requirement. There are inequalities in canal water distribution.

The following general observations are made in relation to organizational change:

• Farmers are generally not clear about their responsibilities, nor about the role of the Department of
Irrigation.
• They choose to believe that the Department of Irrigation will intervene for substantial
repairs/maintenance even if the root cause is inadequate routine maintenance.
• They indicate that their involvement in operation and maintenance is dependent on having an adequate
and reliable water supply
• Many expressed concern about lack of transparency in the operations of Water Users Associations
• There is a feeling that the training given prior to transfer was targetted too much at Water Users
Association committee members
• It is important that the cost of maintenance required to keep infrastructure in adequate condition is
realistically assessed and explained to farmers prior to turnover. There is a lack of appreciation of the
real cost of maintenance, especially preventative maintenance.
• There appears to be no coherent maintenance planning. There is a general lack of awareness of
maintenance needs other then canal desilting.
• The collection rates of Irrigation Service Fees are poor and the procedures for assessing and
monitoring collection do not seem to be adequate
• The transfer of branch/secondary canals is generally effective where farmers have already been
involved in operating and maintaining this level of the system