(Query received over email from Edouard Bonnamour)
Hello,
Following our phone call, my name is Edouard Bonnamour and I work on a documentary produced by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
We have been commissioned by the Global Development Network (www.gdnet.org )to produce a series of documentaries on the state of irrigation and water efficiency in Africa and South Asia.
More specifically, the film will be dealing with the subject of experiences of countries in different water policies and the challenges of water management. We'll also be tackling with irrigation issues (private and public irrigation development), techniques to increase the efficiency of water use, regulation of water price and public or private initiatives in the country regarding this problem.
I would like to get in touch with someone who could help me with this project.
I would like to find examples to shoot in India
Basically, I'm trying to find concrete examples on different irrigation technologies (pressurized irrigation system, furrow irrigation and raised bed planting, laser land leveling): how does it work? How many farmers are using it? Since when? Why this technologies compared to another one? How does it work for a farmer when he wants to get this type of technology: does he have to pay? Is it refunded by the government? How do they install the irrigation system? Do they get a teaching session to get used to it? Are they able to keep it up?
I'm also wondering if there is some water use association and farmers organizations in charge of managing the water resources? How do they work? Do they work with the government? or NGOs? Do they manage different schemes? Or do they have little power?
Thirdly, I would like to know how you priced this water. How do you fix the price? On which analysis do you fix the price? Is it related to another state price for example?
That leads to my other question about water market: Is there any in Sindh? How do they work? How can a farmer chose to be a sellers or a buyer? How does the sell goes on?
Same thing with "official" water market: is there many of them? how do they work? Is it in a big room with lots of people? Is it outside? Is it only one man making the connection between multiple farmers?
Finally, I'm looking for someone who has worked for the national programme on "water conservation and productivity enhancement using high efficiency irrigation systems". Would you have any contacts, mail, telephone number to give me?
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me on my Indian number: 99 10 10 64 24.
I'm looking forward to getting in touch with you again,
Best regards,