| Author | Moragolle, Ganga Brahmana Mudiyanselage Mahinda |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no. HS-88-21 |
| Subject(s) | Agricultural development projects--Sri Lanka
|
| Note | A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for t he Award
of the Degree of Master of Science, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. HS-88-21 |
| Abstract | Since t he dawn of the history irrigation and dry land settlement
methods have been attempted in many countries to improve their rural
economy . To achieve multiple goals of increasing agricultural production
and generating income for the farmers , strategies a re required. The
experience gained by many developing countries has exhibited achievement s
despite obstacles and hardships associated with irrigated settlement s .
Today t he livelihood of 800 to 1, 000 million people in developing
countries depend directly on irrigated agriculture . Development of
irrigated agriculture is a multi-disciplinary activity requiring
co- ordinated and integrated efforts of agencies involved and the
beneficiar ies. Farmer participation in irrigation management ha s been
considered as i mportant i n those schemes in many countries.
Paddy cultivation under irrigation and dry l and irrigated settlement
development in Sri Lanka is over two thousand years old . Today out of
759 , 000 ha in the domestic agricultural sector about 500 , 000 are irrigated
under both minor and major irrigation schemes while paddy cultivation
provides a livelihood for about 7 mi l lion people and plays a key role in
the national economy . During the past half of the century large amount
of public funds have been invested in irrigation settlements development .
Various problems have prevented adequate benefits been gained from t his
investment. Considering these problems the need of improved farmer
participation in and responsibility for water management has been
emphasized. Recently the programme o f Integrated Management of Major
Irrigation Settlement Schemes (INMAS) has been introduced in 35 major
irrigation settlement schemes to achieve higher agricultural productivity
and income for the farmers through increased farmer participation ,
co - ordinated and integrated management in irrigation water management and
agricultural activities. This study is an evaluation of INMAS and its'
impact on agricultural development in Parakrama Samudra Scheme,
Polonnaruwa .
The main finding of this study is that there has been a significant
improvement in farmer participation in management, operation and
maintenance of t he irrigation system, water distribution , input supply
and agricultural development . There is a l so better coordination among line
agencies and bet ween farmers and government agencies. As a result the
yields have increased, a larger area is cultivated especially in Ya l a
season and there is greater diversification of crops in Yala season. The
farmers who have benefitted most are the tail enders who faced many
problems previously . There are still some problems. |
| Year | 1988 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. HS-88-21 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Dias, Hiran D. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Weber, Karl E. ;Suvit Yodmani ;Paudyal, Guna N.
|
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Canadian International Development Agency; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1988 |