West Bengal Accelerated Development of Minor Irrigation Project - Phase II

The development objective of the Second Phase of the West Bengal Accelerated Development of Minor Irrigation Project for India is to augment water availability and strengthen water user associations for improved irrigated agriculture in project areas of West Bengal. The project comprises of four components. The first component, strengthening community-based institutions aims to mobilize, engage, and empower farmers by establishing and strengthening transparent, inclusive, and self-sustaining Water User Association (WUAs). The second component, minor irrigation services will improve access to water for irrigation, fisheries, and other livelihood activities through development of minor irrigation scheme clusters, including check dams (of less than 5 m in height across small streams), small-scale storage structures, creek rehabilitation (typically up to 1.5 km creek length), open dug wells, and tube wells; and scaling up water efficiency technologies, such as improved conveyance and application systems and irrigation scheduling informed by soil moisture measurements. The third component, agricultural support services aim to improve agricultural, horticultural, and fisheries production, capitalizing on improved availability of water through component B. The fourth component, project management and technical support aims to strengthen the Department of Water Resources Investigation and Development (DWRID) to spearhead project implementation at all levels and support technical manpower for executing components A to C in an integrated manner.