Water is one of the important resources for human beings. Is not abundant, it is very important not only to conserve the resource but care should be taken that it is effectively utilized as well as distributed for economic growth of State and Nation..

Orissa is an agriculturally dominated State. Approximately 65% of people depend upon Agriculture.

Irrigation plays a vital role for Agricultural development as 93% of water is being utilized for Agricultural purposes.

Growth of population puts an impact upon irrigation.

According to estimate that the amount of land irrigated by an irrigation project is lesser than the actual land that is designed for irrigation. The two important reasons are waste of water in the upper reach of cannels and inadequate maintenance of canals.

It is impossible to take care of irrigations systems individually by the farmers. But it is possible to maintain irrigation systems by formation of Water Users Associations/ Pani panchayats.

In other countries like Japan, Korea, Srilanka and Nepal the farmers make water users associations and mange the canal and look after the distribution of Water.

In our country some of the state like Maharastra, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh the water users associations are effectively working and which in turn are adding to their economic development.