Despite well-established departments to manage tanks it is quite noticeable that the informal local organisations are actively involved in the management of tanks. Unfortunately most of the planners and designers do not take note of such informal organisations. In most of the tanks the significant difference with the past and the present tank committee is that earlier all the residents of a village participated whereas now it has trickled down to the achkatdars. The State s alternative strategy in operation and maintenance of tank is by and large taking the system back to the old management practices, which was in tune with the decentralised system. The strategy is more on democratic principles and different from the traditional system that was based on caste and class hierarchy.
Villagers view a tank more as a social institution than a profit- oriented institution.
The share amount to water users co-operative society is not favourable to all sections of villagers. There are instances where WUCS comprise large number of tanks, for example, in Malur taluk of Kolar district 5 WUCS have been formed covering 132 tanks, which means on an average 26 tanks per society. This raises doubts over their effectiveness. A majority of the villagers are aware of the existence of WUCS and its representative from their village. Under such circumstances the transparency, accountability and participation of all the households is at stake.