This paper assesses a strategy proposed for rehabilitating 1200 of the larger tanks in Rajasthan. It argues that treating tanks only as flow irrigation systems—which lies at the center of the mainstream thinking on rehabilitating surface irrigation systems--is very likely to result in a flawed strategy when applied to tanks.

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) held a workshop of policymakers and international and regional experts working on the South Asian region in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 23–24 February to explore new ways of promoting ‘out-of-the box’ thinking about the region’s food and water security issues.

The SSP on the Narmada River, arguably the lifeline of the State of Gujarat, has always been in the limelight for one reason or another. Now, the project has got drawn into a new controversy. Farmers in the SSP command area have stolidly resisted the idea of giving up any land for the construction of the distribution system.

This paper attempts to trace the history of irrigation development from early 19th century to the present to emphasize the shifting of focus from the government controlled major and medium surface irrigation systems to farmer-controlled ground water irrigation systems.