Economic Impact of Water Management : A Case Study

Water is commonly regarded as plentiful, especially in the medium to high rainfall areas. But water is not equally distributed over the earth's surface. The increasing uncertainty over rainfall is hampering the normal economic activities especially agriculture. In rural West Bengal, man-made "chowka" is a beautiful example of water harvesting structure acting as lifeline to farmers during the dry season and minimising the risk of water-logging during uncommon heavy rainfall. This paper attempts to assess the economic impact of water management practices in a medium rainfall area in West Bengal. Also the effects of land size, expenditure on inputs and the role of panchayat are taken into account. The impact is evaluated in terms of cropping pattern, productivity, income, employment, and household assets. The study reveals that the overall impact is positive and significant, and hence, it demands a systematic and well-organised planning-execution approach to water management projects.