AN ANALYSIS OF COMMON-POOL-RESOURCE IN AN INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS FRAMEWORK: EVIDENCE FROM TANK IRRIGATION AND GROUP-OWNED WELLS IN SOUTH INDIA

Tanks are man made reservoirs formed by putting crescent shaped earth embankments across the drainage flow to capture and store heavy runoff from concentrated monsoon rainfall. Tank water reaches fields by gravity flow through sluices. Tanks, which were once the largest form of irrigation in South India have declined in importance and are in state of disrepair. This paper synthesizes the disparate strands of thoughts prevailing in the Common Pool Resource literature while analyzing tank and well irrigation in South India. Particular attention is given to the fact that tanks are a part of the village 'public domain' through which social relations are articulated, reproduced and challenged (Mosse, 1997). Group Owned Wells are discussed as an alternative, though they do share some common features with other CPR's. Findings suggest that social norms and peer pressure are effective in facilitating cooperation in managing the irrigation wells