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| ORISSA COMMUNITY TANK MANAGEMENT PROJECT (OCTMP): |
Government of Orissa in partnership with Government of India has initiated a project to repair and rehabilitate approximately 900 minor irrigation tanks having a command area of 40 ha to 2000 Ha and covering 1.20 lakh ha across the state of Orissa with funding from World Bank. Tank irrigation is one of the oldest methods of irrigation in Orissa. The State has 28,303 tanks approximately, including tanks of the Government and Private Sector (GoI, Minor Irrigation Census, 2001). About 3646 of these tanks are relatively large with an irrigation capacity of 5.47 million hectares. These 3646 tanks irrigate between 40 ha to 2000 ha of land and are managed by the MI Department. The Orissa Community Tank Development and Management Society (OCTDMS) has been formed as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under the Department of Water Resources, Government of Orissa and will conceptualize and operationalize the Orissa Community Tank Management Project (OCTMP). The project envisages execution through primary and secondary institutions from the State Project Unit to the Community Level Groups with facilitation of Support Organization.
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| Project Principle |
| The key principles underlying project design are |
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A decentralized setting where the main tank beneficiaries play a proactive role in planning, implementing and sustaining project interventions. The tank system rehabilitation work meets technical quality and safety standards and pays adequate attention to social, environment and fiduciary considerations. To improve agricultural productivity and farmer incomes, access to improved agricultural technologies and practices and facilitation of market linkages for agricultural producers, are as important as improving access to water.
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| Objectives |
In consonance with the overall National Framework of GoI, the Orissa Community Tank Management Project (OCTMP) has been conceived with an overarching project objective for selected tank based producers to improve agricultural productivity and water users associations to manage tank systems effectively.
The project design would set its priorities on the following key outputs and outcomes |
Sustainability of the restored systems tdrough community participation and empowerment facilitated by Support Organizations (SO)/ other agencies to have self-supporting groups at the level of water body To create enabling legal and institutional environment to implement the solutions emerging out of participatory and demand driven processes To improve the production and productivity of selected agricultural commodities in tank command area and enhance livelihood options. Community contribution to be made compulsory. The suggested extent is about 10 % of the total project cost out of which 5 % may be kind and the remaining cash. Although the project will likely to benefit the farmers (land owners) more, however it will include the whole of the tank user community involving other users like landless farm families, livestock owners, fishermen community etc.
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| Project Components |
| In order to achieve the project objectives, the project would encompass four main project components as described below: |
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Institutional Strengthening: This would include, inter alia, strengthening of community-based institutions to assume responsibility for the tank system improvement and management, development of human resources and developing mechanisms whereby the needs of the traditionally vulnerable stakeholders can be addressed. Tank System Improvements: This would include physical investment in tank systems. The actual rehabilitation work required would be determined for each tank system individually with an upfront .Tank Improvement and Management Plan. prepared in consultation with tank users prior to undertaking any investments. In general, interventions are likely to address deficiencies in feeder channels, tank bed and structures, and the water distribution and drainage systems. Agricultural Livelihoods Support Services: This would include promotion of farmer interest groups, agricultural research and extension support tdrough public agencies and private sector providers as appropriate, and facilitation of market linkages for agricultural producers. groups including fisheries and livestock products. -
Project Management: The objective of tdis component is to ensure smootd implementation of project activities, monitoring of project implementation progress and outputs/ outcomes achieved, and learning from project experience. Major activities under tdis component would include: (i) setting up and supporting project management units at the state and district levels, (ii) project MIS, (iii) internal monitoring, evaluation and learning,
(iv) services of an external M & E agency to be engaged as consultants for the duration of the project; and (iv) information and communications support including establishment of project website and documentation of project experience and its dissemination into the wider development community (v) Finance and Procurement. |
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| Scope of the Project |
The project will carry out rehabilitation work in about 900 tank systems covering a command area of nearly 1,20,000 hectares, supported with institutional building and agricultural livelihood development in tdree batches: |
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| Sl. No. |
Batch No. |
No. of Tank Systems |
| 1 |
1 |
300 |
| 2 |
2 |
300 |
| 3 |
3 |
300 |
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Total |
900 |
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| Status of OCTMP (2007-2008): |
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The Society was registered on November 2006.
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Appointment process for engagement of fulltime staff in 5 units of the society has been completed.
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The project office under the leadership of Project Director-cum-Addl. Secy., Water Resources was established at Rajiv Bhawan. Necessary office furnishing and ICT facilities were created.
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The project was appraised by the World Bank on January 2008 and awaiting negotiation for WB loan.
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The background studies for social assessment, environmental assessment, hydrological assessment, Pani Panchayat assessment and TAGAP (Transparency,Accountability and Governance Action Plan) have been completed and the final reports have been received.
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The World Bank has sanctioned PHRD grant of US$ 3,95,000 for the operationalization of the society to be paid as reimbursement of expenditure.
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The Govt. of Orissa has remitted Rs. 2 Crores for the expenditure to the society.
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District Project Units have been formed in districts and the Executive Engineers of districts concerned have been declared as District Project Directors. To facilitate in project implementation 9 Support organizations have been put in place.
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The process for hiring the consultancy services of a recruitment agency for staffing at the district and state level, a monitoring and evaluation agency and agency for coming up with the Management of Information System product is under progress.
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Disclosure of the Social Management Framework and Environment Management Framework of the project has been done at the State and District level.
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The project is being implemented on a pilot basis in Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts. Implementation of the project has been initiated in 59 tanks, which are in different stages of preparation of the Tank Improvement Management Plan (TIMP). Technical (civil works) related part of the TIMP has been completed for 16 tanks and 9 are under preparation at the district level. The livelihoods and institution/ social development part of the TIMPs has been completed for 10 tanks and are undergoing review and changes based on the feedback received from World Bank.
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At policy level, proposed changes in the Orissa Pani Panchayat Act 2002 include- Inclusion of fisherfolk, Increase in tenure of Pani Panchayat from 3 years to 6 years, tenure of Executive Committee member increased to six years, election of members from the chakas on a rotation basis and representing, head, middle and tail reach, inclusion of women by reservation of 1/3rd of the total number of seats in the Executive Committee for women. Specifically for OCTMP, orders have been received for collection of water taxes by the Pani Panchayats and retention of the same for future operation and maintenance, and operation and maintenance of head works to be taken up by the Pani Panchayats covered.
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