Social conflicts and their remedies in the distribution of canal water: Case study of the Damodar valley irrigation project,India

Lower availability of water in canals has caused damage of control structures, breach of minors and sub‐minors and erection of cross bunds to obtain water for crops. This misappropriation has resulted in inter‐ and intra‐village conflicts in the area of the Damodar Valley Irrigation Project in West Bengal. The conflicts are mostly caste based, as is prevalent in Northern India, and subject to political involvement. In the head reach the conflicts over the distribution of water are solved by the intervention of village‐level institutions with the help of community development blocks and irrigation officials. But in the tail reach the village‐level institutions and government officials have played a very limited role in resolving the conflicts. This article examines the nature and causes of the conflicts and some solutions are suggested.