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IFPRI ReportVolume 18, Number 2
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Indicators of Performance Quality Applied to Indian Irrigation Systems
Ways to evaluate the quality of irrigation systems and to measure performance accurately have been badly needed for a long time. Over the years, a number of researchers have worked, first, to determine a set of measurable indicators of irrigation quality and, second, to develop a conceptual framework for performance assessment. In "Assessing Seasonal Irrigation Service Performance," the third in IFPRI's working paper series on irrigation performance, Riens Jurriens proceeds to the next step: integrating the indicators into a framework.Jurriens examines various indicators for performance of irrigation systems in recent literature, discusses the characteristics of the indicators he finds most appropriate, and applies them to an extensive set of performance data for the huge Tungabhadra Irrigation System in South India (its command area encompasses 360,000 hectares in Karnataka and 150,000 hectares in Andhra Pradesh). Jurriens, an irrigation expert who worked on the system for many years, aims to develop indicators for practical management purposes, for which the required data can be collected on a routine basis by operational field personnel. He addresses only the seasonal and annual performance of the water delivery system in this paper.
There are three main sets of indicators, which determine if the water delivery system is equitable and reliable: water supply indicators consider the area served, the amount of water that is received, and the flows and volume delivered to specific locations in the system. Variability indicators examine the uniformity of flow and intensity and the reliability of the flow. The third set of indicators looks at operational efficiency.
The findings of the study underline the importance of setting clear targets for each season. When Jurriens applies the indicators to an assessment of the entire Left Bank Command Area (one of the main canals) and one distributary of the Tungabhadra system, he finds that it is difficult to conduct a sound performance analysis for the system because targets are not well defined. The annual volume of water farmers expect to be delivered is not realistic. Insufficient water is available in the reservoir to meet all of the targets. Realized supply is 80 percent of targeted supply, but supply fluctuates considerably over the year. This figure sounds good until one realizes that distribution is extremely inequitable. A large part of the area is irrigated twice when it is only supposed to be irrigated once, while half of the area receives no irrigation water at all. Jurriens concludes that farmers' wishes and practices are often in conflict with the design of the system and its capabilities. Carrying out the performance analysis seems to be a useful exercise for understanding scheme characteristics and management problems.
