Protecting of Reservations in Irrigation Schemes in Sri Lanka: Legal, Institutional and Social Issues
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Date
2011
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Abstract
"Reservation in an Irrigation scheme which is a very important common that is needed for the sustainability of the whole system, can be broadly classified in to three types, one on the catchment and another associated with the headworks and downstream system and the third one the borrow areas and pasture lands. Reservation on the catchment is usually set apart to ensure quality and quantity of inflow to the reservoir. Due to limited land resources in a country like Sri Lanka, it is difficult to enforce strict regulations on catchments. Most of the time it is considered as a buffer zone where certain human activities are allowed as long as these do not conflict with the prime objective of the catchment reservations. But the reservations set apart adjoining the irrigation headworks and downstream system are to be protected strictly as areas thus reserved are essential for safety of the structures, use as access by the operation and maintenance personnel or may need for future developments of the project. In the recent past it was observed that incident of encroaching irrigation reservation had been increased. It was further observed that authority over the reservations is vested with many government organizations which are individually responsible for land or environment matters in the scheme or operation & management of the scheme. Overlapping these functions had prevented timely action on unauthorized activities in the reservations. In this paper shortcomings in the current legal and institutional framework will be discussed with the suggestions for improving the system. The social background that led the individuals to encroach the reservations also will be highlighted to suggest what intervention the government can make to control this situation."
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commons, irrigation