Abstract:
In Bangladesh, irrigation is a practice used to promote agricultural production. A number
of projects of different sizes have been implemented by Bangladesh Water Development
Board (BWDB) to provide flood control and drainage facilities and irrigation water
supply. Barisal Irrigation Project (BIP) was designed to provide irrigation and improved
drainage on a command area of about 106883 ha in seven upazilas in the vicinity of
Barisal. The present study identifies the present (first stage) and past (second and third
stages) institutional and technical setting in BIP through participatory approaches (FGDs,
Interviews, Institutional mapping etc.). Three stages of management in BIP have been
identified from this study. Time period in three different stages of the project are from
the year 1975-1988, 1994-2003 and 2004-2010 for the first, second and third stages
respectively. A timeline has been drawn to find out the effects of major events throughout
the irrigation project. This study also provides an understanding of how technical and
institutional setting in an irrigation project affects its performance. The special
management pattern as recommended for the first stage of project by the World Bank
became most ineffective due to the dearth of proper co-ordination among the executing
agencies. Considering this, the second stage of the project had been designed under the
unique management of BWDB as sole executing agency. Stakeholder analysis identified
that there were lapses in proper organization and management, proper leadership and coordination
among the implementing agencies. A significant increase in percentage of
irrigated area (around 35%) was found from the irrigation season 2004-05 (Present stage)
compared to its first stage (about 5% of the area) due to well-designed management
system (detailed management procedures, job descriptions, information and monitoring
systems). The irrigation equipments are performing well at the present stage of the
project compared to its first and second stages as a result of improved irrigation system
(adequate closed dams and structures for draining out of water). Crop yield against the
target yield at the first stage of the project was very low and it was only 25%. But at the
present stage it is 62% which is much higher than the first two stages of the project. Use
of fertilizers, pesticides and most importantly irrigation affected the crop yield. Percent of
fee collection is higher at the present stage compared to its first two stages. A
questionnaire survey has been carried out to asses the farmers’ perception on the
performance of the project at different stages. The total performance score obtained at the
first stage of the project is +210, whereas it is +400 and +490 at the second and third
stages, respectively. Technical analysis suggests that there is a surplus of water resources
in the study area. The present study reveals that proper management is the main factor to
improve the project performance. Effective management and technical set up in BIP was
found to have an impact on its irrigated area coverage and fee collection rate.
