Proper Water and Land Management Scheme could help to get water effectively in Central Dry Zone
Water distribution becomes more effective and equal in central dry zone to farmers' fields in a result of Pyawt Ywar Pump Irrigation Project. Pyawt Ywar is situated 70 kilometers west of Mandalay in Myinmu Township where Mu River pour into Ayeyarwaddy River.
The four-year Dry Zone Programme of Livelihood and Food Security Funds (LIFT) targeting six additional townships in Sagaing Region is planned to complete in 2018. The fund's donors include Australia, Denmark, the EU, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.
The scheme lifts irrigation water from three Pumping Stations (PS, Figure 1) where PS1 pumps water into the system from the Mu River, and supplies PS2 and PS3. There are five villages through a network of a Main Canal (MC), Distributary Canals (Dy) and field canals or watercourses in the command area of each PS (Figure 1).
In order to receive water from Pywat Ywar pump for agricultural purpose efficiently, effectively and equally, the local farmers are crucial in participating the local institutional arrangements which leads to improve overall scheme management. Through the LIFT funded project IWMI together with consortium partners (NEPS, WHH and ICRISAT), IWUMD, DoA and the farmers in 5 villages has developed a new institutional structure to improve water supply and management in the scheme.
Water User Groups (WUGs)
Water User Groups formed with the large numbers of farmer includes Canal Representatives (CRs), sub group leaders and farmers served by field canals linked to respective distributary canals (Dy).
Within Water User Groups (WUG), farmers are able to learn about how their water distribution practices can be arranged collectively and individually, based on its implications for farmers' agricultural production.
Canal Representatives (CRs) are the primary representatives of the farmers within the water user association, and are generally meant to represent all farmers served by a particular distributary canal (Dy).
The functions of a WUG and its sub-groups will include:
- Representing farmers' agricultural development needs in general
- Facilitating discussion and arrangement on cropping pattern
- Facilitating the equitable, efficient and reliable allocation of irrigation water
- Maintaining the field canals and related infrastructure in a systematic and regular manner.
- Facilitating farmer training, including farmer-to-farmer learning
Additionally, to address several requirements, the WUGs brings together farmers and their canal representative (CRs) for regular planning, problem resolution and identification of specific training needs.
Water User Association (WUA)
Water User Association (WUA) consists of Pumping Station Coordinating Committees (PSCCs) which encompasses the canal representatives of the WUGs and the sub-group leaders. The WUA will coordinate between the three Pump Stations to facilitate collective dialogue and decision making by farmer representatives and senior IWUMD staff other line ministry officers in the Agriculture Coordinating Committee.
When will it be ready to operate?
"We have been testing for this monsoon season. We will get some data and results in December. Because of heavy rain falls this monsoon season and previous monsoon season, some of the physical works has been delayed," project leader Dr. Petra Schmitter from International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said.
"This phase is going to finish in March normally. But our project timeline and irrigation timeline don't match each other. Therefore, we are exploring with LIFT the feasibility of extending the project till next monsoon season (2019)," She added.
For more information
Project contact: Dr. Petra Schmitter, project leader IWMI consortium, (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
