The Erode district of Tamil Nadu has seen extensive water management work under the umbrella project, ‘Eeram Erode’. Earlier, the district administration carried out the building of major tanks, minor irrigation tanks, water bodies, and massive plantation drive to increase the green cover in the district. The latest series of such work is the widespread construction of check dams to recharge groundwater level and help the marginal farmers with water abundance.
The ‘Eeram Erode’ project was taken at the district level to cope with the intensive work of the state government on augmenting the groundwater levels across the state. The District Collector of Erode, Mr. H Krishnanunni said, “As a pillar of water conservation, this project has been taken under by the rural development department with the main aim of recharging the ground water and benefitting the marginal farmers in the district.”
BUILDING CHECK DAMS
The District Collector inspected the construction of check dams in hilly areas of Bargur panchayat in Anthiyur panchayat union under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). According to him, these check dams will also help in the development of forest resources.
For 2021-22, under the MGNREGS, work is in progress to construct 23 dams at ₹ 281.23 lakh at Anthiyur block, nine dams at ₹ 112.70 lakh at Bhavani block, four dams at ₹ 90 lakh in Gobichettipalayam, two dams at ₹ 8.43 lakh in Kodumudi , four dams at ₹ 63 lakh in Modakkurichi , one dam at ₹ 49.88 lakh in Chennimalai, 14 dams at ₹ 133.92 lakh in Nambiyur, four dams at ₹ 43 lakh in Perundurai , 21 dams at ₹ 446.67 lakh in Talavadi block , and five check dams at ₹ 87.61 lakh in T.N. Palayam block. All in all, 103 check dams are being constructed at a total cost of ₹1,601.95 lakh.
In hill areas, 21 check dams are being constructed at Bargur panchayat while 21 check dams are being constructed at Talavadi.
BENEFITTING MARGINAL FARMERS
As the project has already been implemented in the hilly areas of Bargur panchayat, the officer said, “We found out that the initiative is not only helping in water management but also benefitting the small marginal farmers living in these areas. They had seen water scarcity for a long time, as there was no facility to replenish the ground water.”
Mostly these farmers grow one crop per year like millet, but with the help of these check dams, their overall productivity will also increase. Mr. Krishnanunni said, “Many farmers in these hilly areas don’t even own the land where they grow their crops and agriculture being a predominant occupation, they are highly dependent on the growth of their crops.”
Thus, building of check dams at crucial points will not only help in ground water recharge but, at the same time, it will help in improving the farmers’ agricultural produce.
