Foundation for Ecological Security 2022. Water as commons: Field stories (Understanding links between human actions and resource outcomes). PowerPoint presentation given during the Atal Bhujal Yojana Training, India, December 8, 2022

1. Water as commons
field stories
Understanding links between human actions and
resource outcomes

2. Collective choices
• Millet cultivation
• No Paddy cultivation in Rabi season
• Reviving traditional Neerugati system – conjuctive use of water
• Groundwater collectivization – Bore well sharing
• No new bore wells
• Restoration of water bodies to improve the recharge
• Repair to supply and feeder channels
• Livestock drinking is water priority during dry-monsoon years

3. Millet cultivation
• Kosuvaripalle panchayat
• Paddy is major crop during the
Rabi season under bore wells
• Crop loss due to bore well dried up
middle/ end of the season
• Games - created awareness on crop
wise water requirement
• Finger millet (Ragi) is stable food
in this region
• Farmers cultivating the millet only
or along with Paddy

4. No paddy during Rabi
• Thotlavaripalle village
• Inclination of the farmers toward
high water intensive crops –
Paddy
• Games - discussion on water
requirement for Paddy
• Discussion around the economics
of Groundnut vs Paddy (Unit
water income)
• No Paddy cultivation, Shifted to
Groundnut

5. Neeruganti system
• Papepalle Panchayat - Brahmana Cheruvu spread across
27.5 Acres. 48 farmers (of 7 habitations) depend, 42 Acres
irrigated area
• Neeruganti (Laxmi Devi) water manager – distribute water
equitable manner
• Farmers clean and repair the feeder channels before season
• Cultural programme “Ganga Pooja - Bonam” to invoke the
blessings of the God for plentiful water in the tank
• Water user association is strong.
• Payment to Neeruganti – in kind – harvested paddy
• All the farmers are saying that “The tank in my village
always has ample water and everyone gets a fair share of
this. This is all due to the neeruganti system and proper
user association”.

6. Groundwater collectivization
• Vepulapalle village, Thambalapalle mandal
• Dry land farmers losing the crops during drought
years
• Land availability near bore well is less
• Discussion around aquifer map, CWB
• Generated the idea of bore well sharing
• 3 bore well farmers and 7 non-bore well farmers
• Designed to cover 33 Acres of land with 3 bore wells
• Crop planning will do during Kharif season
• Non-bore well farmers got critical irrigation during
beginning, middle, end of the season as per the need

8. No new Bore wells
• Bathnigaripalle is a village has 66 households,
550 Acres of total geographical area.
• Evolving the Intervention plans - securing the
public investments in rejuvenating the resources
• Farmers are encouraged to adopting package of
practices, water saving technologies, natural
farming practices
Evolved rules
 Minimizing the Paddy crop area under bore
wells
 Prohibiting the extraction of water from
surface water bodies that cater to needs of
the livestock.
 Informed Crop choice should be decided
collectively
 Moratorium on digging new Bore wells.

10. Desilting of tank
• Tank Name: Datti kere, Byraganahalli, E
Thimmasandra Panchayat, SiddlaghattaNo of HH:
110
• Agriculture Land: 145 acres
• Major Occupation: Agriculture and wage work,
Livestock rearing
Village tank, Datti kere (25acres) Silted up for last
30 years. In the catchment of tank there are 7 bore
wells and 5 sand wells. Earlier the water was
available for 2-3 months in year.
In 2021, tank restoration activity was taken up. This
programme was increasing the water storage
capacity as well as uplifted silt applied in farm land
to improve soil fertility. Totally 78 farmers taken silt
in their farm land and nearly 10,000 Cum of silt is
desilted.
Result of it, water is stored in tank and remained
through out year. Drinking water source for 5125
livestock. Water level has been improved to 300-400
foot.

11. Individual changes
• Reduction in sowing area commensurating the Groundwater
• Crop change from water intensive to low water demanding crop
• Mixed cropping - water intensive and low water demanding crops
• Reduction in number of irrigations
• Water saving techniques – drip/sprinkler
• Bore well sharing with adjacent farmers during critical times
• Practicing natural farming practices to improve soil water retention
capacity

12. “I have 38 guntas (just more than 0.5 Acres) of agriculture
land, earlier I used to take paddy at my farm land. Being a
part of experimental game conducted at my village, I realized
the way we are depleting groundwater. In coming season even
though our area blessed with plenty of monsoon this year. I
planned for mixed crop cultivation; Coriander, Ragi, Maize,
paddy for own consumption. This way I could able to take
multiple crops with minimal water. This year I am very
happy comparing to past.”
- Eshwar Reddy, Atagollahalli, Talakayalabetta Panchayat
Mixed farming is way out…

13. ““I have 1.2 hectares of land, where I
used to cultivate tomato. Since it
consumes more water, my bore well used
to get dried towards summer months.
When I participated in the game, I
realised the fact that I need to change
my cropping patterns. Now I cultivate
less water demanding crop, vegetables. I
also constructed farm pond. Judicial use
of water is the key to succeed in
agriculture in drought prone areas like
mine”.
Narayanareddy S/O Potalappa,
Aatagollahalli is a village in
Siddlaghatta
Simulation games translated to collective action…

14. Water saving devices
• Mr. Kotireddy, belongs to Thotlavaripalle of RN Thanda
GP has 5 Acres of land and also he has bore well
• He used to irrigate 2 acres of area for Tomato and Paddy
crops
• We facilitated with APMIP to get drip system for 2.5
acres
• Now, he installed drip during Rabi season and able to
irrigate 2.5 acres of Groundnut
• He paid Rs.17,500 to department and he got filter tank,
33 pipes, 17 bundles of drip pipes (500 mts each) & other
fitting materials
• Still water is sufficient for more area, so he want to
invest around Rs.10000 to get more pipes and planning
to grow Tomato for one more acre

16. Natural farming
practices
 Obulesh is a farmer from Katarupalle
village, grown vegetables in 1.5 acres.
 Grown Brinjal, Ridge guard, Field beans,
Chilly, Cluster beans, Bendi and Tomato
crops
 He prepared the Dravajeevamrutham and
Gokrupamrutham for fertility improvement.
Applied once in 15 days through out
 He prepared the natural pesticides with
available leaves, chillies, garlic, etc
 He saved expenditure of chemical pesticide
 Observed improvement in soil moisture in
his plot

17. Establish rules about withdrawal of water, fish, or other resource
units, including irrigation water allocation; crop choice, or
irrigation practices;
Establish rules to protect from damage to infrastructure,
prohibiting pollution, water quality, restricting entry for
non-desirable uses
Mobilize household contributions, in labor, cash or kind,
worth on average at least one person-day/hh/yr
Operate & maintain infrastructure such as operating gates,
desilting, or watershed conservation to increase water storage
or groundwater recharge.
Enforce restriction on water-intensive crops; restrictions on well
spacing, depth or usage; adjustment of rules in a very wet year or dry
year, etc.
Discuss water monitoring information, such as estimated supply and
demand (as in experimental games, crop-water budgeting), or seasonal
assessment of crops and irrigation scheduling
Decoupling of land and water rights and evolve mechanisms for water
sharing and resource optimisation
Evolution & Typology of Rules