Farmer Management of Groundwater Irrigation in Asia: Minor Irrigation Development: A Key for Sustainable Agricultural Development in Bangladesh

IN BANGLADESH, Ol'fIMUM use of water resources and especially irrigation water should be an important strategy for increasing and sustaining increased agricultural production. Minor irriga­tion covered about 93 percent of total irrigated area in Bangladesh during the years 1989/1990 and according to government projections, would cover about 90 percent by the end of the Fourth Five-Year Plan, 1994/1995 (Ghani and Rana 199 I). About 58 percent of total irrigated area during 1989/1990 was and 63 percent of the irrigated area in 1994/1995 will be covered by groundwater. Minor irrigation systems are almost entirely managed by the farmers/beneficiaries. Public intervention is only at the time of developing irrigation facilities (renting of low-lift pumps and installation of deep tube wells). Therefore, about 90 percent of the irrigation systems wiII continue to be farmer-managed irrigation systems in Bangladesh. But these facilities are operating at about 50 percent of their rated capacities. Improvement in the management and utilization levels of minor irrigation systems in the country, therefore, can cause significant improvements in overall irrigation performance. Studies in the Ganges-Kobadak (G-K), North Bangladesh Tubewell Project (NBTP), Kahalu area of Bogra and Rajshahi areas during 1989 and 1990 dry seasons indicate that water use values for rice cultivation are 0.32, 0.18, 0.96 and 0.39 hectare per liter per second (ha/lps) (or 3.13, 5.56, 1.04 and 2.56 lps/ha), respectively. Productivity of water are 3.6, 3.8 and 5.5 kilograms per hectare-millimeter (kg/ha-mm) for G-K, NBTP and Rajshahi areas, respectively. In G-K and NBTP, irrigation systems are operated and maintained by government agencies, whereas, in Bogra and Rajshahi study areas operation and maintenance are done by the farmers. From the water use and productivity figures it can be concluded that farmer-managed systems are performing better. However, it has been observed that even these systems fall short of the desired levels. Performance of minor irrigation systems can be improved by adopting water management strategies such as improvements in reliability of water supply, provision of improved operation and maintenance, fixation of irrigation targets per unit of irrigation delivery and diversified cropping plans. These practices could lead to the accrual of additional benefits from the irrigation facilities.