The two-day National Level Meet on Diversion Based Irrigation (DBI) was organized in Bhubaneswar, India and had active participation from 56 government, NGO, and civil society participants. DBI is a program supported by The Jamsetji Tata Trust that started in 2008 with 1,500 lakhs in funding over three years. It involves diverting water flows from streams and rivers using pipes for irrigation in remote tribal villages. Some findings were to work more intensively in DBI areas, establish connections with other programs, and learn from other organizations.

1. A two day National Level Meet on Diversion Based Irrigation (DBI) was organized at Hotel Kalinga
Ashok, Bhubaneswar, from 8th – 9th February 2011. The meet witnessed active participation of 56
participants from the Government, NGO, Civil Society organizations and several other notable
persons working in the development sector.
DBI is a national program supported by The Jamsetji Tata Trust (an entity of the Sir Dorabji Tata
Trust and the Allied Trusts) based in Mumbai. This program started in 2008-09 with a sanction of
1500 lakhs over a 3-year period. Diversion Based Irrigation means irrigation derived through water
flows from streams and rivers by gravitational force without using external energy. Most of the DBI
schemes use PVC pipes for channelling water from the source to the crop fields in remote tribal
villages. DBI program also promotes traditional system of flow irrigation that are named as Tanka
in Rajasthan, Phad in Maharashtra, Dong in Assam, Kata & Munda in west Odisha and Ahar Pyne in
Jharkhand and South Bihar.
Some of the key findings of this event included working further intensively in the DBI command
areas, establishing convergences with existing schemes/programs particularly with that of
Government and finally looking forward to learning from partners working in diverse regions, so
that the programme could be strengthened by making it more robust.
For details of the key presentations rendered in this meeting, please click on the TITLE below: