Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 10, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Saturday, Nov 10, 2007 ePaper |
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Tamil Nadu
THANJAVUR: Former Deputy Director (Geology), Groundwater Department, Tamil Nadu, P. M. Natarajan, has stressed the need for immediate steps by the State Government to improve or save water resources. Presenting his suggestions before the State Planning Commission at Chennai recently, Natarajan said that Tamil Nadu is a water scarcity state, where the per capita annual water resources is about 800 cubic metre which is the second lowest in the country. As per world water resources standard, the per capita annual water requirement for the domestic and food needs of an individual is about 1,510 cubic metre. “Therefore, our people are living with 47 per cent deficient water resources. If our government does not take immediate action to improve or save the water resources, the per capita water resources is likely to reduce to 435 cubic metre during 2050 and at that point of time our State people are likely to lead a life with 71.19 percent deficit water.” The following approaches, he said, would make it possible to attain sustainable water resources development: rainwater harvesting, artificial groundwater recharge, micro irrigation techniques, summer ploughing, aternate crops, virtual water import, treating and recycling waste water, desalination of seawater, proper water pricing, arresting global warming, arresting seawater intrusion, rejuvenation of water bodies, intra and inter-basin transfer of water, content and live with water stress. Best optionThe ‘inter-basin’ transfer of water from surplus rivers is the best option available to permanently arrest the water scarcity of not only Tamil Nadu but also of all water scarce regions and basins. For the success of this approach, a strong political and legal intervention including peoples’ wholehearted support is necessary. Since it may take some more years to reach this situation, it is now suggested to start rainwater harvesting very earnestly so as to attain sustainable water resources development to the extent possible. Though our State is being periodically affected by monsoon failures, at times due to the active monsoons coupled with the sudden flood discharge from the upper reaches when the reservoirs there are full, there is flood in our State also. Such a scenario is not only arising in the Cauvery and Thamiraparani rivers but also in a vast area of our State. This flood water should also be harvested and harnessed. By constructing a barrage across the Cauvery river at Mayanoor, or in the confluence point of Amaravathi and Cauvery rivers east of Karur town, it is possible to utilise flood water of Cauvery river by diversion through new as well as existing irrigation structures. The approaches are: diversion to Panchapatti big tank in Tiruchirapalli district, diversion to the West Pudukottai district tanks through Kavinad big tank, diversion to Ramanathapuram and Sivagangai districts, diversion to East Pudukottai district’s tanks through the existing Grant Anicut Canal system, Diversion to Veeranam tank for irrigation and diversion to Chennai city for drinking water supply. Diversion of flood water to East Pudukottai district irrigation tanks through the existing Grand Anicut Canal is even today possible without much expenditure. Therefore, the government should give standing instruction to the Water Resources Organisation to follow this approach as and when there is flood in the Cauvery River. The best option available to harvest flood water without acquiring land for construction of huge storage structures is to construct farm ponds in the farmers’ land. The size of the pond may be 31mx31mx1.5m. Each pond is likely to hold about 1,500 cubic metre of water. Since the land in Cauvery Delta is fertile and very costly, no one is willing to sell their land for the construction of huge storage structures. Further, as this delta is a flat terrain, it is not advisable to construct big irrigation tanks since, even to store a small quantity of water, a vast area is required. Therefore, it is better to go for ponds in farmers’ land. Farm ponds are the most acceptable option to harvest the floodwater since acquiring land for lakes and reservoirs is the most difficult job in the present context not only in Tamil Nadu but also in the whole country. The difficulty in acquiring land for the creation of special economic zones not only in our State but also in many States of our country clearly demonstrates,that it is very difficult to acquire large area. Main advantageThe main advantage of the farm pond is that the government need not spend money for the maintenance and about Rs.10,000 can be generated per pond per annum in the normal monsoon years by fish culture. In addition to this, it is possible to save the crops by supplying water from the ponds in case of scarcity of water during the milky stage of the crop. This approach is likely to generate uniform groundwater recharge in all parts of the State. By constructing about 1.133 million ponds in Cauvery Delta, it is possible to harvest about 60 TMC of flood water. To construct these ponds about Rs.4, 531 crore funds are necessary and from these ponds it is possible to generate an additional annual of about Rs.1, 133 crore per annum by fish culture. The State needs about 9.4 million farm ponds to store about 500 TMC of flood water and 18.9 million ponds to harvest 1,000 TMC. This much additional storage facility has to be created in the State to harvest and harness the maximum quantity of flood water during the active monsoon seasons. Additional incomeFrom 18.9 million ponds it is possible to generate an additional income of about Rs. 18,900 crore per annum by fish culture. The cost of these ponds is Rs.75,520 crore. Above all, if 1,000 TMC of water is harvested through ponds, it is likely to generate about 100 TMC of additional groundwater per annum by recharge. Therefore, the investment towards the ponds can be earned within 4 to 5 years. Since there are a large number of land holdings with small and marginal farmers, it may not be difficult to construct maximum number of farm ponds in our State. As flood and scarcity of water are also considered national calamities, by utilising the National Calamity Fund, it is possible to construct these farm ponds. Grant full subsidySince the success of this programme depends on the attractive subsidy component, it is suggested to the government, to give full subsidy to the entire construction of the ponds. Since the government is already providing about 90 percent subsidy, it may not be difficult to the government to bear the remaining 10 percent cost of the farm pond.
For the peoples’ government, which waived about Rs. 7,000 crores on the very first day of assumption of office, this expenditure is meagre. Since the benefit reaches all the farmers of our State, waiving of farm loan need not arise in future. “Unless we do the above exercise in our State, it may not be possible at all to attain the anticipated GDP growth rate of 10% during the 11th five Year Plan period,” he adds. “If we don’t arrest the migration of farmers to the industrial areas to seek their livelihood security, we can’t produce about 27 to 30 million tons of food grains in our State which is the requirement of the projected population of about 97 to 100 million during 2050.”
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