Managing modern irrigation projects in Lanka to achieve self-sufficiency

By Mahinda Panapitiya

M.S, Department of Agriculture & Biological Engineering, Utah State

University, Utah, USA, B.Sc (Civil Engineering), University of Peradeniya, 1974, Sri Lanka

The main objective of large-scale irrigation projects, developed during the last century under programs such as the Mahaweli Project, is achieving self-sufficiency in food production. However, currently the focus of those projects is achieving self-sufficiency only in rice production. I hope the concept explained below would provide a common platform for various ministries, responsible for food production to adopt a holistic approach for the country to become self-sufficient in food rather than only rice, using the fertile soil and limited water in our dry zone.

Background

The total area under irrigation in the dry zone under the Mahaweli Program is more than 350,000 hectares. Most of those projects are large-scale irrigation systems. One of the main challenges faced by farmers dependent on such large scale irrigation projects, concerning self-sufficiency in food, is the non-availability of water at the farm gate at the right time, in the right quantity (‘on demand’ basis). This is because for their water needs, farmers have to depend on predetermined timetables decided by Irrigation Officials. These timetables are, in fact, theoretical assumptions made at the design stage of irrigation systems’ canal networks. This is a very pathetic situation in the modern irrigation sector because, in all other public sector services (such as drinking water and electricity), this ‘on demand’ facility is inbuilt.

Note that this ‘on demand’ facility had been built into our ancient irrigation technology through the decentralisation of the operation of canal systems to village levels via village tanks. In addition to rice, protein-rich foods were grown in areas referred to as Chena above the command areas of these village tanks. Rice was limited to valleys in irrigable areas under village tanks. Harvesting of sporadically distributed local rainfall in the dry zone, for the production of multiple types of crops, had been a natural outcome of that decentralised management approach. The main objective of that decentralised management approach was ‘to not allow a single drop of rain to flow to the sea without being put to use’ (King Parakramabahu).

Unfortunately, most of those village tanks were excluded from modern systems developed during the last century. It was a serious design error that affected the timely delivery of water to farms and the harvesting of local rainfall. It is not possible to reintroduce those village tanks now because farmers have already settled in areas that were utilised by the ancient system.

Solution

To rectify the mistake, an effort was made for the first time in 2000, to simulate the ancient decentralised management approach, focusing on self-sufficiency in food rather than only rice (‘Rehabilitation Programms of Large Scale Irrigation Projects – an opportunity to alter the farmers’ role in Water Resource Management’, Panapitiya D. Mahinda, S.K. Hewadeva), published and presented in a competition organized by IWMI and Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka in 2007. It was introduced in Mahaweli Areas by allocating water to a group of farmers in bulk at the beginning of each cultivation season. Later the approach came to be referred to as the Water Quota (WQ) management approach.

WQ approach guaranteed the availability of water in bulk as well as on ‘on demand’ basis, at the head of each distributary level canal, feeding about 100 hectares serving small groups of farmers who, among themselves, cultivated a hectare of land. There are about 400 such distributary canal groups in the Mahaweli Project. By offering technical training on water measurement, a volumetric impression was created among farmers, on the seasonal bulk of water volume farmers are entitled to under each distributary canal. This management approach is an effort to simulate the ancient decentralised management system by transforming the operation of the distributary canals to play the role of village tanks. In the case of the ancient design, the volumetric impression came naturally to farmers without any training, because villagers could gauge the water volume in their individual village tanks visually.

After introducing the WQ approach cropping intensity increased to 165 percent. According to the World Bank report on the Mahaweli Restructuring and Rehabilitation project – MRRP (2003), WQ was recognized as the best water management approach for countries in South Asia (World Bank Report [2003], Aid Memoirs, MRRP Implementation Progress Review, June 2-12,2003). However, it is very unfortunate that after about 2015, the approach was not adopted by the new generation of Mahaweli Officials.

Self-sufficiency in foods

Because of water availability on ‘on demand’ basis under the WQ approach, farmers could be allowed to select the cropping combination to suit water availability and market. The agriculture divisions of the project management offices in those projects could publish possible cropping combinations to suit different soil types. It is up to the farmers, as a group, to select cropping combinations. Through this approach, it is expected that the farmers would be motivated to use local rainfalls as much as possible as a supplementary water source for irrigation. According to experience in adapting the WQ approach in System H, G, C and Uda Walawe, irrigation water usage could be reduced by at least 50 percent while farmer income enhanced by 50 percent (https://engineer.sljol.info/articles/10.4038/engineer.v41i1.7080/galley/5575/download/). Because of reliable water availability at the farm gate, the second generation of farming communities are also motivated to consider agriculture as their livelihood. For example, I met the son of a farmer in Uda Walawe who designed a drip irrigation systems for banana cultivation using instructions available on the internet. He also has his own supply chain to market his produce via the internet.

Expected outcome

Farmers enjoying water availability on ‘on demand’ basis, similar to other government services, could also enjoy water user rights, with a focus on agriculture, in addition to land rights. As a result, they are motivated to engage in agriculture with more confidence. The urge to diversify cropping patterns, deviating from the monotonous rice was a natural result of that motivation. Farmers could strengthen as a group, in negotiating with the private sector to engage in commercial farming as farmers are equipped with water user rights in addition to land rights. For example, farmers with water user rights on a volume basis available ‘on demand’, have the option of cultivating water-sensitive high-value crops without any risk. They would also have the option of growing perennial cash crops like coconut, fruit-bearing trees and sugarcane while cultivating other upland seasonal crops like leafy vegetables, tubers, fodder (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337228750_ANALYZING_OPPORTUNITIES_FOR_COMMERCIAL_FODDER_CULTIVATION_IN_SRI_LANKA), ginger and pineapple. Animal husbandry is also viable in these lands for milk production while supporting organic fertilizer production. Bee-keeping is also a possibility because it is ecofriendly. In fact, before modern irrigation networks were introduced in the 80s, focusing on rice alone, coconut was one of the main crops in the System H of the Mahaweli Project. Rice was limited to LHG soil areas in valleys.

From self-sufficiency in rice to self-sufficiency in food

I am an engineer with more than 40 years of experience in managing irrigation projects not only in Sri Lanka but also in other countries such as the US. I tried to market the concepts explained in this article from 2000 (http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2015/11/25/features/search-lost-wisdom, http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/conceptual-revolution-irrigation), but failed. I hope the present crisis due to COVID-19 would be an eye-opener for decision makers to pay attention, holistically, to such new concepts. Critical comments and opinions to refine the concept are welcome.