An estimated 70% of agricultural production of India comes from irrigated land. As such, the role of irrigation in strengthening and sustaining the agricultural economy is crucial. Unfortunately, the state of irrigation infrastructure across the country is very poor. Design flaws, poor upkeep of physical system, unviable water pricing and bad irrigation management practices have contributed to substantial underutilization which is a colossal waste of investment. Since independence, more than rupees one thousand billion was spent on creating physical infrastructures such as dams and canals in India, yet in many states as little as 25% of potential irrigation is used.

Pilot projects in Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) have demonstrated that many of these problems, if not all, can be reduced if active participation of farmers is encouraged in all aspects of the development and management of irrigation. Under Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), some of the important irrigation management responsibilities in government owned irrigation projects are transferred to farmers' water users associations.

The support service of DSC in Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) focuses on building farmers' organizations at village as well as project levels and enhancing their capacity through various means such as training and community organizing. Moreover, DSC helps sensitize the staff of Irrigation Department to participatory processes.

DSC is playing a pivotal role in promoting PIM in India. DSC is providing policy support to the various state Governments and the Central Government for wider adoption of participatory approach to irrigation management. As of June 2004, more than 50 Government policies and procedures have been either changed or new ones introduced through DSC's intervention and research. DSC's pilot projects on PIM give valuable lessons for up-scaling the programme.

DSC is involved in direct implementation of the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) programme in 2 major and 3 medium irrigation projects, including famous Sardar Sarovar (Narmada) project covering 89 villages of North and Central Gujarat. For this DSC works in close cooperation with the state irrigation department and strives to up scale this programme at state and national levels.