Chapter 2 PILOT PROJECTS’ ACTIVITIES, ACHIVEMENT AND OUTCOMES 2.1 Land and Water Resources Development Programme 2.1.1 Activities In line with the selection of 4 P/P areas, the following activities have been undertaken to establish the irrigation and drainage system; demonstrating irrigated paddy cultivation practised in a participatory way by farmers and training district officers and farmers involved in the P/P. (1) Topographical survey (2) Training of PIEs and Farmers at Doho Rice Scheme (3) Water balance study for P/P areas and A/P areas (4) Design of irrigation and drainage system (5) Construction of irrigation and drainage facilities (6) Field training of PIEs and farmers during construction (7) Completion of Construction Works and Hand-over Ceremony (8) Monitoring of O&M of the Irrigation Facilities The above-mentioned activities are explained in detail as follows; (1) Topographical Survey The topographical survey works have been divided into two stages. The first survey was undertaken for the 3 P/P areas of Budaka (Pallisa), Bugiri, and Kumi in June 2004. The second survey which involved Sironko P/P, a new development area, was undertaken in January 2005 in which Sipi River survey has been included. 1) Items for Topographic Survey The following survey works necessary for conducting the detailed design of the 4 P/P areas in Budaka (Pallisa), Bugiri, Kumi and Sironko districts were conducted in the field. a. Installation of a Survey Control Point (permanent bench-mark) including levelling survey: Three new control points made of concrete were installed in the P/P area near the proposed intake, at the middle point of the P/P area and downstream of it. Levelling survey was carried out from the nearest existing control point. b. Topographic survey by Total Station method for the proposed P/P area and intake site area: The total topographic survey area covered over 25 ha including surrounding slope area with the scale of 1:1,000 and 1:500, respectively, and contour lines of 0.5 m interval with supplementary 0.25 m interval lines were provided. c. Longitudinal section survey of the proposed irrigation and drainage canals and the P/P area: Two lines of longitudinal section were surveyed at the most upstream point of the P/P area to the most downstream point to find the slope of the area. Longitudinal sections of proposed irrigation and 2 - 1 drainage canals were surveyed. d. For the survey works of Sironko P/P area, additional Sipi River survey has been included. Sipi River survey: Longitudinal section survey including the deepest points of the river and the height of the left and right embankments was undertaken for a distance of 600 m along the Sipi River. Cross sectional survey involving every 100 m interval for both the left and right sides was made; covering 100 m width from the centre of the river. e. Cadastral and Tenants Survey: The name of the land owner and boundary of the ownership were surveyed, and based on that the cadastral map was prepared. f. Output of the mapping survey: All the results of the above survey were processed using CAD (Computer-aided Design). Survey outputs are listed. i) P/P area topographic map of a scale of 1:1000, contour line at 1.0 m intervals with supplemental 0.5 and 0.25 m contour lines. ii) Intake area topographic map of a scale of 1:500, contour line at 1.0 m intervals with supplemental 0.25 to 0.5 m contour lines (only Sironko). iii) Longitudinal section of the P/P area for a vertical scale of 1:200 and horizontal scale of 1:500. iv) Longitudinal section of the proposed irrigation and drainage canal routes for a vertical scale of 1:200 and horizontal scale of 1:500. v) Longitudinal and cross section survey of the Sipi River for a vertical scale of 1:100 and horizontal scale of 1:200 (only Sironko). vi) Cadastral map showing boundary of land owners and tenants name on the scale of 1:1000 with the list of name and address of owners and tenants and the plot numbers and acreage. vii) Elevation lists of the installed control points and bench marks used during the survey works were shown in the survey report. (2) Training Programme for PIEs and Farmers at Doho Rice Scheme The P/P will be implemented on the basis of farmers’ participatory involvement supervised by the district PIEs, and the construction technology is to be transferred to the farmers to enable them to undertake the next construction works by themselves. In the 3rd Field Work, a training programme for 14 PIEs was completed. In order to strengthen and develop their capacity as irrigation engineers, an additional training programme was implemented as an OJT during the construction works of the P/Ps. The trainees were dispatched in the 4 P/P areas and learned how to supervise the construction works. 1) Technical training of PIEs a. Purpose of Training Currently, there is a limited number of irrigation engineers in Uganda, both in MAAIF and at the district level. Consequently, there is a need to not only promote the increase of irrigation engineers, but also to plan and construct proper irrigation and drainage schemes that can guarantee stable rice production. 2 - 2 In order to cope with these requirements, a training programme has been provided in the Doho Irrigation Scheme. The following basic concepts were considered in the programme: i) Introduction of high learning institutions involved in the training of irrigation and drainage engineers, ii) Knowledge of capacity building in irrigation and drainage technology for farmers and engineers in the local governments, iii) Transfer of operation and maintenance technologies and facilities of irrigation and drainage to farmers, iv) High learning/sensitisation and training in roles of water users associations, v) Research and extension of on-farm water management technologies, and vii) Promotion and guidance on actual project planning and implementation to support farmers’ organisations. After completing this programme, PIEs will play very important roles in the establishment and construction of irrigation schemes in their districts and in the capacity building of farmers’ organisations involved in WUAs. The PIEs will ensure the role of leadership and promoters of the selection and planning of irrigation schemes; assisting the establishment of farmers’ organisations as WUAs. They will promote the implementation of planned irrigation schemes by farmers themselves as a participatory involvement with DAO and NGOs, etc. This training programme consisted of the following three major lectures: i) Irrigation planning and design, ii) Drainage planning and engineering, and iii) Water management, O&M engineering. b. Trainees The trainees were nominated by MAAIF and the district offices to attend the training programme. The nominated PIEs who were not initially trained in irrigation engineering, were presently engaged as Agricultural Officers or Assistant Agricultural Officers. At first, the number of trainees was expected to be 14, one from each of the 13 districts and one from MAAIF. However, in addition to these 14, two came from Doho Irrigation scheme, one as a production manager and one as a farmer. As a result, the number jumped to 16 who attended the programme. The trainees were mainly agronomists and soil scientists with no experience in the engineering fields. Six had short training in irrigation and drainage in Kenya (AICAD) and Tanzania (KATC). All trainees were willing to be PIEs and willing to contribute greatly with the knowledge obtained through the programme. Questionnaires distributed at the 2 - 3 beginning to get their opinions on the programme show that all had high expectations; hoping that the programme would solve their individual technical problems. They basically exhibited a strong desire to learn irrigation and drainage engineering. List of Trainees in the Technical Training for PIEs No. District Nominee Present Position Remarks 1 Kamuli Mr. A. Napeera AO 2 Iganga Mr. R. Kayingo AAO 3 Mayuge Mr. P. Waluube AO 4 Bugiri Ms. P. Egibwa AAO 5 Busia Mr. D. Opio AO 6 Tororo Mr. A. Otim AO 7 Mbale Mr. S. Nambafu AAO 8 Budaka (Pallisa) Mr. R Mandu AO 9 Sironko Mr. G. Nangai AO 10 Kumi Mr. J. Etyang AO 11 Soroti Mr. F. Anyumel AO 12 Katakwi Mr. Emasu Egwela AO 13 Kaberamaido Mr. D. Ebinu AAO 14 MAAIF Mr. Byaruhanga Farm Development 15 Doho Mr. Sagula Wilberforce Production Manager Added 16 Doho Mr. Sagula Robert Farmer Added Note. AO; Agriculture Officer AAO; Assistant Agriculture Officer c. Lecturers In order to train the selected trainees, two lecturers were selected from reliable institutions. They were Mr. Michael Iwadra (lecturer at Makerere University) for irrigation and drainage planning, design and engineering, and Mr. Tom Malinga (former Doho Rice Scheme manager) for water management and O&M engineering. The lecturers have sufficient knowledge and experience in the subjects of the lectures. Especially the water management engineering part has been entrusted to the former manager of Doho Scheme who has experience in the field of participatory works and water management technology as related to farmers’ capacity building in the field of irrigation and drainage. Furthermore, the main counterpart of the Study Team, Mr. John Mackay Ogwang helped and supported the lecturers in the preparation of the textbooks. Necessary textbooks and materials were prepared beforehand; referring to the relevant lecture curriculum and materials provided by the Study Team. d. Training Programme At first, the background and purposes of the Study were explained along with the necessity of the irrigation engineers and the basic concepts of the plan and design for the 4P/P areas. Data and information indicating the status of wetland development in the 13 districts, which were relevant to future planning of irrigation scheme development in the said districts, were distributed to the trainees.