A study on operation and maintenance cost of irrigation projects in andhrapradesh

The water use efficiency in irrigation sector in india is of the order of only 25% to 35% in most irrigation system ,with efficiency of 40% to 45% in a few exceptional cases. The problem is not due to absolute shortage of water, it is due to the absence of the proper mechanism for conservation and distribution in efficient use. At this point of view operation and maintenance and rehabilitation costs of irrigation projects are most important for efficient use but the system represents gross neglect and mismanagement of water resources.We have outlined the main observation for operation and maintenance cost under various sources. Where the maintenance cost, financial insufficiency as resulted in the adhoc mechanisms initiated by institutions at ground level as well as the government mindset driven by bureaucrats, unimaginativeness to optimize the maintenance of irrigation schemes. In some, it is observed that the operation and maintenance aspect has become more a ‘political and bureaucratic’ nexus. There is need to change the ‘mind set’ of policy makers to ‘re-look’ into the whole operation and maintenance institutional arrangements for the devolution financial, operation and distribution aspects.