The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Restore tanks for water storage: official

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 21, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Restore tanks for water storage: official

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: The need for accelerating public awareness on various issues related to deterioration of lakes because of encroachments and pollution was stressed during a brainstorming session on ‘Revival of Lakes and Water Bodies’ organised by the Centre for Remote Sensing, School of Geosciences, Bharathidasan University, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Delivering the key-note address at the inaugural, N. Varadaraj, Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board, Chennai, said the restoration of tanks for storage purpose and ground water recharge needed to be taken up for site-specific sub-surface condition, and that remote sensing techniques would give real time information for drawing the remediation plans.

With global warming indicating a deterioration in water environment, there is a need for protecting existing water resources and managing them efficiently.

Water bodies must be protected from contamination and encroachments.

Considering the huge cost in construction of reservoirs and the environmental issues arising in such mega-projects, the best option is to fully use the tanks and ponds for harvesting and storing rain water.

Reliable system

Referring to the lake and well irrigation techniques developed on a large scale during the Pandya, Chera and Chola dynasties in south India, Mr. Varadaraj said the system was reliable in terms of water availability and provided better flexibility in water distribution.

However, the status of many lakes in western districts of Tamil Nadu was now in a poor state due to encroachments.

The inflow of runoff water from uplands has reduced due to encroachment of supply channels.

To rehabilitate tanks and increase the storage capacity to original, the Central Ground Water Board has implemented the demonstrative artificial recharge to ground water projects in various terrain conditions of the country, Mr. Varadaraj said.

In his inaugural address on the topic ‘Tank Rehabilitation and Management in India’, R. Sakthivadivel, Senior Fellow, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka, cited silting of tanks and their feeder channels, encroachment in tank bed, interruption in the catchment, and poor maintenance and development of well irrigation in the tank command as the causes for the decline in tank irrigated area.

A protocol for tank rehabilitation should comprise hydrological endowment and selection of tanks for rehabilitation; institutional framework; planning rehabilitation component; investment criteria and financial allocations; execution of works by water users’ association and self-help groups; monitoring and evaluation; and training and capacity building, he said.

Addressing the valedictory session, M. Karmegam, Principal, V.R.S. College of Engineering and Technology, observed that the water scarcity could be averted through efficient utilisation of rain water.

Varsity’s effort

Vice-Chancellor M. Ponnavaikko said based on a study to be undertaken by the Centre for Remote Sensing, the university would ensure efficient water management on its premises.

Centre Director S. M. Ramasamy said the geological processes of the different terrains must be studied while embarking in revival of water bodies. K.J. Kumanan of the Centre spoke.

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