The Irrigation and Command Area Development (I&CAD), Government of Andhra Pradesh recently completed elections to Distributary Committee and is contemplating to hold elections for the project committees. The APFMIS Act 1997, emphasises formation of water users associations at three levels i.e. WUAs at primary level, Distributary Committees at Distributary level and Project Committees at project level.

At present there are 323 DC presidents in Andhra Pradesh. As a next step, the empowerment of these newly elected representatives became priority of the CAD department. The I&CAD empanelled NGOs to work on the capacity building on an intensive scale in canal irrigation projects. Based on the inputs from Water and Land Management Training and Research Institute, Hyderabad, NGOs, and other stakeholders, I&CAD evolved strategy to make capacity building as part of the irrigation project management system. According to this strategy, the experienced training coordinators are recruited as training coordinators and are posted at the circle or division office of the respective irrigation project. These coordinators function as resource person in facilitating the training programmes at project level and organising the study tours to other states in India.