TN village makes success story of water harvesting

Cuddalore, June 19 (UNI) A village in Tamil Nadu has made a success story of water harvesting.

The state being rain-deficient, government took initiatives towards water harvesting and maintenance of existing water bodies besides going for new ones. The villagers in this district were trained on the benefits of rain water harvesting and desilting of ponds and wells.

Harvesting of rain water in ponds has come handy to the people and they say water level in the adjacent wells have risen since 2004 when the village embarked on the 'art of preservation.' Government has taken up digging up of six ponds at an estimate of Rs 125,000 at Kolakudi village in Vriddachalam block this year in continuation of works in previous years.

Talking to UNI, Panchayat President B Venkataswamy expressed hope that these projects would ease water shortage during summer. The village has a population of about 2,250 in 525 families.

The government also took up various developmental projects like laying concrete roads and digging up of villge ponds, under 'food for work programme'.

The villagers were keen on overcoming the shortage of water, which was a perennial issue for years. Due to scarcity of rain and depletion of ground water, agriculture was at stake. With a majortiy of people engaged in agriculture and allied sectors, a slump in the sector was unaffordable.

It was at this juncture that the state government brought in a slew of measures to help the people in distress. The government initiated developmental programmes for water conservation, irrigation and transportation and allotted funds.

Starting from 2003, there was an upward growth in the developmental measures taken up by the government in this district.

Labour required for the projects was found in the villages itself and payment was on 'food for work programme' mode.

Rama Sundaram, a villager noted the changes in many of the villages in the district and said, "we were reeling under water scarcity in summer with wells and fields drying up. Now the situation has changed a lot." The Kolakudi village is also going to get a major facelift with a new public library coming up at Rs two lakh and a play ground at a sprawling three acre land.

The villagers are hopeful that the 450-metre concrete road, which also was laid recently, would act as a 'channel' to bring in more developmental projects into their village.

UNI