Women-Led Water Governance for Sustainable Irrigation in West Bengal, India

Water is a finite and vulnerable resource that is essential to sustain life, development and environment. About ninety percent of available water resources are being used for irrigation purposes in many developing countries of the world. Rural women all over the world are playing an active role in irrigation, thus contributing to food security. In some agricultural areas of West Bengal, rural women community have been easily managing small-scale micro-irrigation systems like drip, sprinkler etc., which are the most cost-effective options for sustainable irrigation through increasing water use efficiency and minimize negative impacts on the environment. It is ideal in case of small-scale agricultural production with limited irrigation in drought prone and coastal saline areas in West Bengal. In Terai region of West Bengal, where groundwater table remains in shallow depth, paddle pump fitted shallow tube well (bamboo made) irrigation is quite popular and women's participation in manufacturing and installation of bamboo wells and even operation of paddle pump manually is significant. Also, numerous irrigation water sources e.g. farm ponds, hapas (small rainwater harvesting tanks), wells, springs and stretches of rivers are maintained by local village communities including rural women of West Bengal. The aim of this paper is to establish women's productive roles in managing irrigation water resources vis-a-vis a women-led water governance planning for sustainable irrigation in West Bengal.

Strong governance must be imposed so that irrigation water users associations get registered and a quota for women must be established therein to get them access of irrigation water and become involved in decision-making processes like irrigation scheduling, crop water management etc. To ensure good governance empowerment of women through participatory process of irrigation water management is essential.