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Abstract
The economic and institutional dimensions of water users cooperative (WUC) societies have been analyzed
with regards to performance, membership and transaction costs in forming organization in the Cauvery
basin of Karnataka. Field data have been collected from presidents and members of 30 WUC societies in
Tirumakudalu Narasipura taluk of Mysore, Karnataka. Using cluster analysis, these have been grouped
into (i) well performing, (ii) moderately performing, and (iii) poorly performing WUC societies. To understand
institutional and economic dimensions, the selected WUC societies have been grouped based on command
area, membership and conjunctive use of water. The odds ratio determined using logit model has indicated
that for every one chance of not willing to pay additional water charges, there are seven chances of
willingness to pay. Landholding size of farmer, conjunctive use and distance of the farm from canal have
been found to significantly influence his/her willingness to pay for the assured summer irrigation. The
mean willingness to pay amount for assured summer canal water has been found as ` 178 over and above
the existing charge of ` 100. With all the odds being faced by these cooperatives, this study has revealed
the inner strength of water user cooperative societies in canal water distribution through collective action.