Abstract:
This study attempted to investigate the performance of Meka SSI scheme, which
is representative of "modern" community managed SSI Schemes in Dry Dega
Agro-Climatic Areas of North Shoa Zone, Amhara National Regional state. Field
data measurements, household surveys and key informant discussions were
employed to investigate the extent to which upgrading of traditional irrigation
schemes improves its performance based on the condition of before and after
"modernization". The results indicated that irrigation water delivery systems were
characterized by rigid, inequitable and unreliable water delivery schedules. The
weighted average application efficiency, storage efficiency and distribution
uniformity at scheme level were found to be 66.10%, 95.13% and 67.25%
respectively. Low distribution uniformity and application efficiency coupled with
high storage efficiency indicated high water losses. In general, as per the results of
the survey, irrigation modernization/upgrading provided dramatic achievements
such as increment in command area, increment in water supply, introduction of water fee collection, greater confidence in the use of inputs; and enhanced
awareness of farmers towards irrigation practice. However, the realizations of the
benefits of modernization were constrained by rigid delivery schedules, and rigid
irrigation practices. Thus, the adoption of improved hardware is not by itself
enough to attain high levels of performance. Therefore, there is a need for
improvement in the design of water application practices, irrigation scheduling
techniques and system operational policies (water delivery schedules) of the
irrigation scheme.
