Revisiting community-based traditional irrigation systems in India

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Sociology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Community-based traditional irrigation systems are promoted as sustainable and resilient alternatives to large-scale infrastructure.
• The ahar-pyne system in South Bihar, India, is a prominent example of such a traditional system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine whether traditional irrigation systems, specifically the ahar-pyne system, are inherently just, sustainable, and resilient.
• To offer a nuanced socio-historical understanding of community-based irrigation governance.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research including interviews and focus group discussions.
• Ethnographic fieldwork and archival research were conducted.
• Analysis draws on Science, Technology, and Society (STS) and critical social science theories on caste and community.

Main Results:

• The study challenges the uncritical assumption that traditional irrigation systems are always just and sustainable.
• Insights from STS and social science literature highlight the complexities of caste and community in irrigation governance.
• Epistemic and socio-cultural challenges in governing traditional irrigation systems in contemporary times are explored.

Conclusions:

• Traditional irrigation systems require critical re-evaluation beyond simplistic notions of sustainability and justice.
• Understanding the socio-historical context, including caste dynamics, is crucial for effective governance of community-based irrigation.
• Addressing contemporary epistemic and socio-cultural challenges is vital for the future viability of systems like ahar-pyne.