Social consequences of the water impounding scheme of the rural community structure

The water impounding project had facilitated the adoption and diffusion of an improved technology in the community. The new farming practices associated with water impounding scheme were: early land preparation, use of fertilizers and farm chemicals, cropping calendar and cropping pattern, use of high yielding seeds, water distribution scheme, fish culture, establishment and maintainance of nurseries, tree planting, attendance to trainings, seminars and demonstrations, seeking technical advice, attendance to meetings, particularly in economic and social cultural activities, higher rice yield, livestock and poultry raising. The transfer of technology had several consequences on the rural community structure. These consequences were the new cropping calendar, new cropping patterns, wide use of high yielding rice seeds, shorter turn-around period, increased land use intensity, increased use of hired labor, participation of external institutions, availment of extension services, high level of innovation, payment of irrigation dues, more production and income, more entrepreneurial activities, growing improvement in the standard of living, favorable attitude towards work, knowledge and mechanics of environmental conservation and community welfare benefits. Among the attributes of the scheme which demonstrated a relatively faster rate of adoption among farmer beneficiaries were relative advantage of benefits over cost, compatibility of the scheme with the socio-cultural setting, simplicity in technique, functionality of the new practices, economic advantages and social desirability. The social factors which influenced the adoption of technological practices were kinship, economic motives, social value, institutional support system and extension delivery system. In sum, the water impounding project served as an entry point of technology diffusion in the rural community. As a vehicle of change, the project had become the center of farming activities in the rural villages as well as the sources of role definitions and patterns of decision-making among the rural households