The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : German team to study Edaiyur model of rejuvenation of water bodies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

German team to study Edaiyur model of rejuvenation of water bodies

By T. Ramakrishnan

THIRUKAZHUKUNDRAM, JULY 18. Edaiyur, on the face of it, is no different from thousands of villages in the State, either in terms of physical infrastructure or the economic profile of its people.

But, it is special, as the villagers have taken upon themselves the task of restoring the `Oorani' (pond).

And the `Edaiyur model,' which is still under development, has already attracted the attention of many, including the German Government.

On Tuesday, the German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, along with a delegation will visit the village for first-hand information on how the model is working.

Located in Kancheepuram district, this village is about 75 km south of Chennai and falls under the Thirukazhukundram taluk.

"The German interest in Edaiyur is not just restricted to the visit of the Minister but has been there from the conception of the project," says T. Natarajan, former Director of Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University, and now associated with the project as a member of DHAN (Development of Humane Action) Foundation, a Madurai-based non-governmental organisation.

Technical inputs from Germany are taken and tuned to suit the conditions of Edaiyur. A German expert in water resources management, Dirk Walther, has been drafted for this project.

A water users' association, comprising the villagers, has been formed for facilitating the execution.

Edaiyur is one of 10 villages chosen by the Rural Development department for implementing the State Government's programme of scientific rejuvenation of water bodies in rural areas on an experimental basis.

In the initial phase, five each in Kancheepuram and Ramanathapuram districts will be taken up, say officials.

"It is a multiagency project — State Government, Anna University (Centre for Environmental Studies and Centre for Water Resources), and DHAN Foundation (which motivates the local people for participation in the project) apart from the community," says K. Thanasekaran, Director of the CES. Guidelines are being drawn up for replicating this model in other villages.

The total project cost has been estimated at about Rs. 2.4 lakhs, of which the Government contribution is around Rs. 1.6 lakhs and the DHAN Foundation's share Rs. 50,400. Besides providing the remainder, the people of Edaiyur are lending their labour.

Why restoration of `Oorani'?

It is not that the villagers do not have any source of water. An overhead tank and a hand pump, drawing groundwater, are there. The supply is through pipes but "it is only for five or 10 minutes," say the villagers. Still, it is not scarcity that has driven the people to take up the restoration work but the quality of `Oorani' water.

"The taste was extremely good which we cannot get from anywhere. This is why we want to have it again," says M. Mohan, president of the water users' association.

"As siltation is a major problem for any waterbody, we have put up a grid chamber (which will arrest silt before water entering into the pond) and a filter chamber in the pond. Water can be drawn only from an open well at the bund of the pond. There is a pipe connecting the filter chamber and the well," says Mr. Walther, who is attached to Anna University's Centre for Environmental Studies (CES).

As the pond water will be drawn only for domestic consumption, it will be fenced and the access to it will be highly restricted, he adds.

A full `Oorani' will hold three million litres of water.

Before starting the work, several studies were carried out.

Water quality, assessment of baseline data and potential of the catchment and identification of pollution sources were undertaken.

The local village panchayat has passed a resolution against use of pesticides in the area.

The officials say the restoration work, which is nearing completion, will be over in a few weeks.

C.R. Shanmugam, programme officer of DHAN Foundation, says the Edaiyur experience will show that restoration of traditional water bodies can be executed at a low cost.

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