E-Book Overview
Water related issues impinge on human well being in a variety of ways and preservation of water sources is essential for the development of a healthy society. The ground reality, however, is very different and there exists competition among and between different water users and use sectors that results in conflict. Improving governance of water is a paramount need for society, but existing reform efforts and policy initiatives have made little headway. This book makes an effort to initiate the discourse of governance of water in the Indian context from a variety of angles, such as neo-classical and institutional economics, deliberative democracy, public administration, collective action and political economy perspectives. Reform in water governance not only includes a re-orientation of policy priorities and approaches, but also the restructuring of the institutional framework away from the state and village dichotomy. New intermediate institutions are required to allow a negotiated approach to water resource governance, multi-stakeholder participation, and integrated water resource management at various levels: the village, state, and nation as a whole.
E-Book Content
Governance of Water
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Governance of Water
Governance of Water Institutional Alternatives and Political Economy
Edited by
Vishwa Ballabh
Copyright © Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) and Vishwa Ballabh, 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. First published in 2008 by SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd B 1/I-1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road, New Delhi 110044, India www.sagepub.in SAGE Publications Inc 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320, USA SAGE Publications Ltd 1 Oliver’s Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP, United Kingdom SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd 33 Pekin Street #02-01 Far East Square Singapore 048763 Published by Vivek Mehra for SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, typeset in 9.5/12 pt Stone Serif by Star Compugraphics Private Limited, Delhi and printed at Chaman Enterprises, New Delhi. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Governance of water: institutional alternatives and political economy/edited by Vishwa Ballabh. p. cm. Includes index. 1. Water-supply—Government policy—India. 2. Water resources development—India. 3. Water-supply—Rates—India. 1212 4. Groundwater—Economic aspects—India. I. Ballabh,Vishwa, 1957– HD1698.I4G68
333.9100954—dc22
2007
ISBN: 978-0-7619-3607-7 (HB) The SAGE Team: Sugata Ghosh, Neha Kohli and Mathew PJ Jacket design by W&P graphics
2007046905
978-81-7829-770-5 (India-HB)
Dedicated to Dr Verghese Kurien who has undiminished faith in people’s power and their institutions
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Governance of Water
Contents List of Tables List of Figures Preface and Acknowledgements
ix xi xiii
Section I: Governance: Concepts, Issues and Challenges 1. 2. 3. 4.
Governance of Water: Issues and Challenges Vishwa Ballabh Water Governance, Politics, Policy Ramaswamy R. Iyer Misgovernance of Droughts in India Jasveen Jairath Gender Issues in Water Governance: Review of Challenges and Emerging Strategies Seema Kulkarni, K. J. Joy and Suhas Paranjape
3 18 36
61
Section II: Pricing, Subsidies and Governance of Surface Water 5.
6. 7. 8.
9.
Pricing, Subsidies and Institutional Reforms in Indian Irrigation: Some Emerging Trends K.V. Raju and Ashok Gulati Recovery of Irrigation User Cess and Governance of Canal Systems Manoj T. Thomas and Vishwa Ballabh Irrigation Water Pricing: An