IRRIG. SUBSECTOR II

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The Second Irrigation Subsector (O&M) Project is the second phase of a long-term program aimed at supporting the basic goals outlined in the Government's Policy Statement for the irrigation subsector as well as the Government's policies on decentralization. The project will support: (a) the collection of the irrigation service fee over about 700,000 ha and the turnover of small public irrigation schemes covering about 130,000 ha to Water Users Associations (WUAs); (b) institutional strengthening by providing project and construction quality control, improving system design and operating procedures, establishing basin-focused water operations on a pilot basis, supporting WUA establishment and strengthening activities of training and community organization, instituting a programming and monitoring system and improving environmental assessment capabilities; and (c) minor works related to: (i) the irrigation and swamps schemes where only deferred maintenance and minor systems modification is needed; (ii) the intro\duction of efficient and sustained levels of O&M funding, procedures and related activities so that by the end of the project period, 1.7 million ha of irrigation land and 170,000 ha of swamps schemes will be under the Bank-supported program; and (iii) completion of selected activites under the First irrigation subsector project.