Executive Summary



Part 1
Kerala Minor Irrigation Project ( KMIP ) with EEC assistance was implemented in the State of Kerala during the period 1994 - 2000
The Project envisaged an investment of Rs 52 Crores. European Union financed 80 % of the Project cost and the remaining 20 % was met by Government of Kerala
The Scheme aimed at repairing and modernising 312 tanks benefiting 7800 ha.; commissioning 115 diversion schemes benefiting 2300 ha; and commissioning 148 lift irrigation schemes benefiting 7400 ha.
The Project had to be completed by 31.12.98. But the slow pace of implementation of the Project led to its extension up to 31.12.2000.
As per Revised Work Plan, the number of schemes selected for implementation was 251 to benefit 7285 hectares of land.
The achievements of the Project are completion of 245 schemes. The expenditure incurred was Rs. 18.90 Crores and the irrigation potential created was 6766 ha.
The Monitoring and Evaluation ( M & E ) of the Project was undertaken by the Evaluation Division of the State Planning Board..
M & E activities involved conduct of baseline, seasonal and crop cutting surveys as well as hydrological studies in the selected M.I.Scheme areas and preparation of timely reports on the above studies.
Part II
 
The findings of the last Monitoring Survey ( 1999 - 2000 ) as compared to the Baseline Survey in the 45 EEC assisted Minor Irrigation Schemes is provided in this part of the Report
  The ayacut of the 45 M. I. Schemes spreads over 884.3 ha. possessed by 2420 farmers
  The average size of holding of a farmer was 0.36 ha. The operational holdings of 80.8 per cent of the farmers was less than 0.5 ha.
  The irrigation facilities provided increased substantially from 20 per cent of the ayacut to more than 80 per cent in majority of the scheme areas.
There was a decline in area under paddy by 9.3 per cent in the total cropped area of the selected farmers
The overall cropping intensity index in the 45 Minor Irrigation Schemes increased marginally from 164.7 per cent to 166.7 per cent with double cropping of paddy and cultivation of vegetables as third crop
Productivity of crops increased - virippu paddy by 10 per cent, mundakan 25 per cent, coconut 38 per cent, arecanut 50 per cent, tapioca 14 per cent and banana 120 per cent
Krishi Bhavan provided active support through their extension services
The Beneficiary Farmers Association took an active role in the design and implementation of the Schemes
Part III
The present status of the EEC aided Minor Irrigation Schemes is furnished in this part of this Report
There is no change in the Ayacut area of selected Minor Irrigation Schemes
There has been a marginal decline in the cropping intensity index in these Schemes with the conversion of paddy lands to other tree crops
Majority of the farmers in most of the Minor Irrigation Schemes utilised water for irrigating paddy and vegetables
Rise in the water table in nearby wells of Minor Irrigation Schemes helped solve the drinking water problems in the summer season
With the availability of water, yield of mundakan paddy ( 2001 - 02 ) increased
A shift in the use of chemical fertilizers to manures was noticed in the Minor Irrigation Scheme areas
The effectiveness of BFAs in the O & M of completed schemes evinced a mixed trend. They are active and effective in certain areas, whereas not active in other places
Extension services of Krishi Bhavan though continue to be effective in most of the schemes, the momentum during the period of EEC aid not seen in these scheme areas
Hydrological equipments installed in the M. I. Scheme areas are reported to have been tampered with by miscreants
There is scope for further improvement in respect of Minor Irrigation Structures constructed with EEC assiatance
Part IV
The slow pace of implementation led to non-utilisation of more than 60 per cent of the funds earmarked under the Project
Lack of detailed planning, delay caused in the approval of schemes due to EEC procedures over and above departmental ones, unrealistic targets and lack of coordination within the Irrigation Department and between PMU & Agriculture Department led to the reduction in the number of approved schemes and thereby resulting in the non-utilisation of the full amount of Rs.52 crores originally envisaged under the Project
BFAs are supposed to undertake O & M of schemes on completion. Later division among farmers as to the question of pooling resources and political interference in BFAs cropped up and diluted the participatory approach envisaged under the Project