Abstract
India has a huge stock of canal irrigationsystems that suffer from poor maintenanceand reduced performance. The root of themaintenance problems are structural andrelate to perverse incentive structures andpoor management. In 1997, the state ofAndhra Pradesh initiated a bold experimentaimed at restructuring irrigation operationand maintenance (O&M) across the state. Under the strong leadership of the state'scharismatic chief minister, a newirrigation law was passed and 10,000 wateruser associations (WUAs) created. WUAsreceived control over a portion of themaintenance budget and power to prioritizeand supervise small-scale maintenance worksin their areas. These steps changedradically the service relationships andgovernance mechanisms which controlmaintenance service provision. Accordingto one evaluation, the changes resulted ina significant expansion in irrigated area,reduced flooding losses and an earliercropping calendar as a result of improveddrainage, and higher paddy yields. However, the reforms did not establishclear accountability linkages between WUAsand O&M engineers in the public irrigationagency and failed to specify measures topermanently reduce the size of the state'sirrigation bureaucracy.
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