Fully realizing the reasons for the neglect and
degradation of tank systems in Karnataka, Government of
Karnataka has taken various measures to enhance the
access, of farmers and other users, to tank systems.
This will be mainly by abolishing the current top-down
approach which increasingly make the rural communities
dependent on the state for tank rehabilitation. With the
objective of instituting the sustainable tank management
system, Government of Karnataka is committed to embark
on programmers that will substantially increase
participation of all important stakeholders in the
management of the tanks and also resorting to an
integrated planning and management approach considering
the tank in its totality with a holistic approach to
land, water and ecosystem management.
As an evolving
strategy of initiating a process of reforms in the tank
management, Government of Karnataka has taken a bold
decision to transfer management of all tanks to
communities in a phased manner. To facilitate this
process GoK created Jala Samvardhane Yojana Sangha (JSYS)
as an autonomous and independent society with the
following major objectives:
- To develop, conserve and strengthen water sector
through participatory system in tanks and ground water
to improve livelihoods of the rural people
- To facilitate community-driven approach in all
aspects from project preparation to its implementation
- To promote and undertake efforts for integrated
interventions and operational convergence in related
sectors, viz., Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture,
Forestry, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Ground Water
Management, Watershed Development and other related
departments
- To plan, promote and organize activities of capacity
building including awareness campaigns, kalajathas,
farmers meals and other programmers
- To develop guidelines for planning, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation.
As a first step in transferring the tanks to
communities, Government of Karnataka came out with a
vision statement reflecting the long-term strategy to
transfer 3000 tanks having a command area of over 40 ha
from the Water Resources Department to JSYS, in a phased
manner. Panchayati Raj Institutions will continue to
oversee about 34,000 tank systems entrusted to them. GoK
will like to help communities to resume management of
these tanks to the communities. The ultimate objective
of the policies of GoK tank systems is to progressively
transfer the management, operation and management of all
the tanks to the communities. The GoK has set up a
committee to frame draft Participatory Irrigation and
Management Act for tank systems with the following Terms
of Reference.
- To frame the Participatory Irrigation and Water Management for tank systems with a clear vision for future
- To undertake all necessary steps directly or
indirectly associated in framing such law
Click here for Karnataka
vision statement |
