After nearly 25 years since it was enacted, the Tamil Nadu Farmers Management of Irrigation Systems Act, 2000, is set to be amended. The Water Resources Department will finalise the draft amendment to the Act by March and submit it to the State government.
The revisions to the Act would ensure equitable water distribution among farmers and strengthen nearly 5,702 Water Users’ Associations (WUA) in the State formed under the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation (TNIAM) project and few other projects. Officials of the WRD said the amendments to the Act aim to clarify various ambiguities and address issues related to functioning and powers of the WUAs that have surfaced over the years.
The Act was enacted to encourage farmers to take part in the operation and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure for equitable distribution of water and enhanced agricultural productivity.
“We want to revise the term of office of the Water Users’ Association constituted to five years and reduce delay in conducting elections for the WUAs. These associations play a significant role in maintenance of field channels, preparation of water budgets and effective distribution of water to farmers,” said an official.
There was a need to revisit some of the provisions in the Act to include more farmers in the WUAs and ensure that WUAs take ownership of the field channels in a certain command area, which is the total area that could be irrigated.
The WRD would also ensure sustaining the WUAs as self-reliant organisations and help mobilise funds. The department conducted stakeholders’ meetings across the State to seek suggestions on proposals for amendments over the past few months. While some suggestions would be incorporated in the amendments, the demands made by various stakeholders would be recommended for government’s executive orders.
P.Ponnaiah, president, Parambur big tank Water Users Association, Pudukkottai district, said the association managed field channels running for a length of 13.1 km and distributed water to an ayacut area of nearly 105 hectares.
“We have appointed four irrigation assistants to ensure equal water supply for all 289 farmers. The revised Act must ensure fund allocations for the WUAs that are struggling to function. We have suggested that the fund from fishing auction from the tank must be entirely transferred to the WUA or workers be provided through MGNREGS to maintain the channels twice a year.”
Delegation of powers to the WUAs to clear encroachments from field channels and create channels for smooth distribution of water was another demand, he said.
The World-Bank funded TNIAM project covered nearly 5.43-lakh hectares of agricultural lands and would restore 4,778 tanks across the State.
Published – February 01, 2025 12:19 am IST