`Institutional Reforms in India Irrigation brings together perspectives from three scholars with research interests ranging from agricultural economics to participatory watershed management and collective action. Overall the book provides a useful overview of irrigation management in India and authoritavely reviews options for cost-recovery under irrigation management transfer programs' -Development and Change

Examining the nature and scope of large-scale surface irrigation in India, this book identifies the factors leading to poor performance from a political economy perspective and suggests viable options for institutional reforms.

Using empirical data on irrigation financing and farmer participation, the authors go beyond merely making policy recommendations. They make detailed calculations of the costs of irrigation development, including both capital expenditure and recurring costs. They also examine the performance of reform measures that are already in operation in Karnataka and Rajasthan, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of participatory irrigation management reforms.