Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring Project

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The main development objectives of the Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring project (RWSRP) are to: a) strengthen the capacity for strategic planning and sustainable development and management of surface and groundwater resources in Rajasthan; and b) increase the productivity of irrigated agriculture. Besides the project management component, there are two main project components. The first component supports the creation of a State Water Resources Planning Department (SWRPD) responsible for planning and regulation and ensuring consistency of implementation of basin plans across departments, the restructuring and capacity building of the irrigation department, and the strengthening of the capacity of the Environment Policy Planning Unit ; the modernization of management information systems in the water sector departments; the piloting of community-based institutions for more sustainable groundwater management and the reinforcement of the data collection and technical capacity of the ground water department; the establishment of a farmer owned and managed water utility; and information, education, and communication campaigns. The second component centers on raising irrigated agricultural productivity, water use efficiency, and irrigation system performance through greater participation of users in systems operations and management, increased cost recovery, and improved agricultural support services delivery.