SHALLOW TUBE WELL IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN BANGLADESH AGRICULTURE
7.3 DATA ANALYSIS, RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
7.3.2 Education and Occupational Status of STW Owner .1 General and technical level of education
7.3.2.4 Ownership Type and Energy Uses
STWs were operated by diesel and electricity in the study areas. Higher percentages (almost all) of STWs were operated by electricity in each mauza; but exception was found in Saitapara mauza, where only two STWs were operated by diesel (Table 7.8). Mauza wise distribution of STW and their energy type is shown in Table 7.8.
Table 7.8 Mauza wise distribution of STW and their energy type
Name of Mauza Diesel Electricity
No. % No. %
Kagmari beltail 4 100
Kaizalipur 12 100
Kurmushi 11 100
Saitapara 2 25 6 75
Shekhsimul 15 100
All 2 4 48 96
(Source: Field data, 2016)
Most of the single owned STWs were operated by diesel, whereas most of the partnerships STWs were operated by electricity and it is shown in Table 7.9 and Figure 7.4. Here, one thing is clear that partners accumulated their capital for paying the larger fees for getting the electric connection. Again they could also arrange and increase their command areas negotiating land from kins, close relatives assuring more reliable water supplies. Some diesel operated single
78
Electricity
40 60
Electricity
40
60
Diesel
72 28
Single ownership Partnership
STW owners joined together and formed new partnership, which allowed them to shift to electric motors for pumping of water. In the last few years, Government of Bangladesh (GoB) increased diesel prices several times, although diesel price in world market is going down. The GoB did not provide any subsidy to the farmers or respective diesel cost. So, irrigation business was facing challenges to cope with the rising diesel prices. For this reason, diesel operated STW owners have been shifted to electric operated STW. They were trying to take in more partners or individually trying to convert to electric operated STWs. The farmers feel that the partners can share the risks and costs incurred for converting the STW engines to electric motors. Table 7.9 and Figure 7.4 showed that 60% EOS operated by partner ownership and 40% EOS operated by single ownership.
Figure 7.4: Ownership Type and Energy Uses (Source: Field data, 2016)
It was reported from the field survey that electricity operated STW (EOS) irrigation system was the higher profitable than diesel operated STW (DOS) which was proved from Table 8.1c under Chapter 8. Research findings of Miah and Hardaker (1988) also showed that EOS was more profitable than DOS.
Table 7.9 Relationship between ownership and sources of energy Sources of
energy
Single Partner
No. % No. %
Diesel 2 10
Electricity 18 90 30 100
Overall 20 40 30 60
(Source: Field data, 2016) 7.3.2.5 Command Area Formation
The command area was usually settled in negotiating with surrounding STW owners, but if there is any disputes for command area plots, samaj (community and its leader) settle through village litigation. After fixing command areas for particular STWs, there was little scope to change within short period of time. In most of the command areas, water buyers came from
79
neighbourhood of the STWs. In few cases water buyers committed to irrigate their land under the selected STW command area formalized through some form of written contact (Kaijalpur muaza). Again irrigation charges in the form of crop-share were settled by the samaj (community) at the initial stage in the study areas (Palmer-Jones, 2001). In this system, STW owners have been sharing risk and benefited more compared with the previous cash payment system. On the other hand, water buyers also benefited because they did not have to chase STW owners for irrigating their plots. Moreover the crop sharing system reduces the conflict between water buyer and seller. Continuation of one-fourth (1/4) crop sharing system for three decades, obviously indicates its sustainability.
The community approved new entrepreneur for running STW business in his own land. They discouraged new entrepreneur to take any plots from the existing command areas. A few diesel operated STW owners failed to continue their business due to high fuel prices, but they did not allow other STW owners to operate in the same command area. Rather they tried to engage as partner to the surrounding electric operated shallow tube wells (EOS) (Case study 2).
It was reported in the field that an established command area decreased due to many externalities such as new STW installation nearby, new housing settlement, pond excavation, etc. Conversely,
Case study 2: Coping with changing diesel prices
Mr. Md. Abdul Kader had a diesel operated STW in Sheksimul Mauza. He purchased this STW in 2010 from Mr. Md. Abdul Hanif. Mr. Hanif sold his diesel engine to meet financial needs for continuing business and also to bear the expenses of his daughter’s marriage. Mr.
Kader operated his DOS with irrigating 4.8 acres of land till 2015. Last year (2016), he was unable to operate the diesel engine due to higher fuel prices and financial crisis. Again he neither could arrange new partners (sharing business) nor manage capital required for changing DOS to EOS. Moreover, he tried his best to be a partner of Mr. Latif’s electric operated STW but Mr. Latif and his existing partners denied him of any partnership in their business. After long discussion and with the help of samaj (community leader) they settled new type of arrangement, where Mr. Kader had paid Tk. 6000 to Latif and his partners for irrigating 4.8 acres land of his (Mr. Kader) STW command area. In addition he paid Tk 2000 as driving/management cost and also Tk. 2000 for channel making and repairing cost. Mr.
Kader as usual had taken 1/4 share of crop for his STW command areas like as before without operating his diesel engine. From this arrangement Mr. Kader benefited greatly (Tk. 9000 as Gross margin), though he doubted about the sustainability of this arrangement. Latif and his partners (Mr. Akter and Mr. Ezaz) were also happy with the new arrangement due to non metering electric billing system. So, this case study illustrates the coping strategy of running diesel operated STW with increasing diesel prices. (Note: 1 US$=78.00 Taka)
80
the command area also increased due to exit of STW owners from the adjacent area, inclusion of irrigator as new partner, partnership formation among DOS owners to connect with electricity, and formation of new relationship with prospective water buyers (marriage). Collected data showed that 47% STW command areas decreased and only 6% command areas increased over time. About a half of command areas remained unchanged. However, increase of command area was observed mainly for EOS. The following Figure 7.5 shows the partnership STWs command area formation.
Figure 7.5: Diagram of partnership command area formation