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From Public to Private Irrigation: Implications for Equity in Access to Water

Author

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  • Tapas Singh Modak

    (Research Scholar, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, tapas.tiss@gmail.com)

Abstract

This article examines changes in the irrigation economy of India in the post-Independence period by drawing upon secondary data and data from in-depth village surveys conducted by the Foundation for Agrarian Studies (FAS). Specifically, it analyses the extent of inequality in the ownership of irrigation equipment and access to irrigation across socio-economic classes. The article argues that the shift in the irrigation economy towards private groundwater irrigation is associated with greater inequality in the ownership of irrigation equipment and in access to an assured source of irrigation. The evidence from village-level data shows that while intervention by the state protects the interests of small and poor cultivators, private control over water adversely affects access to irrigation, crop choice, and profitability in agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Tapas Singh Modak, 2018. "From Public to Private Irrigation: Implications for Equity in Access to Water," Journal, Review of Agrarian Studies, vol. 8(1), pages 28-64, January-J.
    • Handle: RePEc:fas:journl:v:8:y:2018:i:1:p:28-64
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