Community and institutional led multi-disciplinary approaches in implementation of integrated watershed management in India: a case study from Karnataka State

Abstract

Since independence, reforms towards Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) have focused on designing of legal and administrative structures that institutionalize decentralized governance and planning, while guaranteeing that such a system does not allow the local elite to dominate the marginalized units of the people. With the advent of the 73rd amendment in Indian constitution, the panchayat system is looked as a significant development in handling rural governance in India. In this aspect, the state of Karnataka can be considered in many ways as one of the active states in promoting decentralization. Karnataka is in the forefront when it comes to devolution of functions and financial powers to PRIs. Hence, the current study has the broad objective to undertake a situational and adopting SWOT analysis to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) related to existing Watershed committees and Water User Co-operative Societies in Karnataka under Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) in terms of the structure, function and factors influencing in implementation of Watershed programme in the state of Karnataka, India. The findings revealed that about 90 % percent of all committees are found to exist on record (structural level), SWOT analysis clearly shown that community-led water use associations are performing better than the department led water user associations in the implementation of IWMP. While the structure and legal status of PRIs have matured over the years, it is clearly recognized that true public involvement in progress and governance through PRIs has a long way to go.KEYWORDS: Decentralisation, Participatory Development, Local Governance, Integrated Watershed Management Programme