The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan

This paper uses a case study to address a fundamental issue in irrigation management: the relationship between technology and the organization required to use that technology productively. When an irrigation system is developed over time by a local community, the technology and the organization evol...

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Main Author: Merrey, Douglas J.
Format: Book Chapter
Language:Inglés
Published: 1986
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/37193
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author Merrey, Douglas J.
author_browse Merrey, Douglas J.
author_facet Merrey, Douglas J.
author_sort Merrey, Douglas J.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This paper uses a case study to address a fundamental issue in irrigation management: the relationship between technology and the organization required to use that technology productively. When an irrigation system is developed over time by a local community, the technology and the organization evolve together. However, when engineers design and construct large scale irrigation systems, there is a tendency to concentrate on the civil works, and to assume that, at least on the local level, whatever organization is required will evolve by itself. This was the assumption of the designers of the large irrigation systems built by the British and post colonial governments in present day Pakistan and the northwestern states of India.
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spelling CGSpace371932025-11-07T08:13:00Z The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan Merrey, Douglas J. irrigation scheduling irrigation systems watercourses social aspects case studies history This paper uses a case study to address a fundamental issue in irrigation management: the relationship between technology and the organization required to use that technology productively. When an irrigation system is developed over time by a local community, the technology and the organization evolve together. However, when engineers design and construct large scale irrigation systems, there is a tendency to concentrate on the civil works, and to assume that, at least on the local level, whatever organization is required will evolve by itself. This was the assumption of the designers of the large irrigation systems built by the British and post colonial governments in present day Pakistan and the northwestern states of India. As there are few detailed studies of the actual operation of warabandi, this paper attempts to fill this gap in our knowledge of warabandi. Based on detailed field work in a village in Punjab Province, Pakistan, it takes an historical perspective on how the route of a particular watercourse, and the rotations on that watercourse, have evolved over time. It demonstrates the lack of "fit" or congruence between the imposed irrigation technology and the pre-existing social organization of the village. The attempts by some water users to adapt both the route and the rotation to solve social conflicts have proven unsatisfactory. 1986 2014-06-12T14:37:38Z 2014-06-12T14:37:38Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/37193 en Open Access application/pdf Merrey, D. J. 1986. The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan. In Merrey, D. J.; Wolf, J. M. Irrigation management in Pakistan: four papers. Digana Village, Sri Lanka: International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). pp.44-66. (IIMI Research Paper 4)
spellingShingle irrigation scheduling
irrigation systems
watercourses
social aspects
case studies
history
Merrey, Douglas J.
The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan
title The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan
title_full The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan
title_fullStr The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan
title_full_unstemmed The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan
title_short The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan
title_sort sociology of warabandi a case study from pakistan
topic irrigation scheduling
irrigation systems
watercourses
social aspects
case studies
history
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/37193
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