According to the well known scholars Agrawal and S. Narayana, the causes for the decline of the significance of the conventional water management system are- 

1. Rapid growth of population and increasing demand for water. The conventional systems are not sufficient to meet the increase in demand or water for the ever growing population. Hence they are being neglected and no step is being taken to renovate or maintain them. 

2. Promotion of the schemes by the government, which benefit the individuals. The community participation in reviving the conventional system is not getting the government attention. On the contrary the new schemes which benefit the individual are being promoted. 

3. Commercialisation of farming and expansion of cash crops – They are responsible for the negligence of the government for the conventional systems of water management. 

4. The investment plans during the dominion period ignored the small irrigation schemes. 

5. Incompetence of the government agencies to understand the significance of water management as an environmental necessity. 

6. Social contradiction and break up of communities are responsible for the decline of the conventional water management. In the absence of voluntary and willing contribution of labour and funds the existing conventional means cannot survive. 

7. The National policy no longer takes into consideration the small water accumulation systems and natural water resources. On the contrary the modem water management systems are very complicated and comprehensive. They cannot be worked out in the absence of huge government funds. Bureaucratic structure creates further problems.