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Summary

Tanks, or 'eris', are traditional irrigation structures in Tamil Nadu. The Kalivelli watershed, covering 772 sq km, has 225 minor irrigation tank systems, most of which are in a degraded state due to social and economic changes and policy changes. Factors include the introduction of tube wells, changes in social hierarchies, administrative structures, reduced inflows, and increased pressure on land. When large in size (40 hectares or more), these Minor Irrigation Tank Systems (MITS) are under the Public Works Department's purview, whereas smaller tanks are managed by local Panchayats. This project focuses on the rehabilitation of locally-managed tanks in conjunction with the establishment of community based organizations for their optimal use and continued maintenance. The project goal is to take up activities in at least 23 of these MITS. The project strategy is to form local level institutions through which the various activities will be implemented. FERAL's role is that of the Monitoring and Planning Agency while implementation will be carried out by Palmyra, Auroville.

 

Objectives
  1. Set up institutional, local, equitable and democratic structures for the management of natural resources in the 23
    MITs and their catchments.
  2. Build capacities of local groups and associations to plan, implement and monitor activities on their watersheds and to maximise biomass and income generation from them on a sustainable basis.
  3. Rehabilitate 23 MITs by implementing structural repairs and undertaking extensive desilting operations on them with the active participation of local communities.
  4. Plan and monitor all the above activities so as to maximize the efficiency of interventions and document the various processes that would serve to influence policy in favour of the experiences gained. 
     
Status
  • Primary and secondary data were collected for 51 project villages, including demographics, labour patterns, soil and water quality, rainfall patterns, extent and status of minor irrigation tanks and cropping patterns.
  • Baseline information and maps were compiled for the project area to track activities and changes throughout the project period.
  • 31 Water Users' Associations (WUAs) and 78 women Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed in the Kalivelli watershed were tracked through the project period and assessed to determine their effective functioning.
  • Training and capacity building exercises were conducted with these community-based organisations.
  • A national level seminar on participatory irrigation management was held at the end of the project.