Collector V Vishnu inaugurating the minor irrigation tanks rejuvenation project on Friday.

The district administration has drawn a plan to improve groundwater level in 20 water bodies in as many villages in 13 village panchayats of Maanur block with the participation of the official machinery, a corporate firm, farmers and the local body representatives in three phases up to 2025.

In a function held here on Friday, Collector V. Vishnu inaugurated the work of rejuvenating minor irrigation tanks and traditional water bodies. Yokohoma Off-Highway Tires, which has its manufacturing unit in Gangaikondan SIPCOT Industrial Growth Promotion Centre, has come forward to fund this drive.

He said the district administration had roped in experts from IIT – Madras to study the ‘mystery well’ near Thisaiyanvilai for artificially recharging all the wells in this region through the recharge structures. Since the plan drawn for this exercise was almost over, it would be executed shortly.

Now, the district administration had started the mission of improving the groundwater table in 20 traditional minor irrigation tanks. After this initiative was launched in 2018 on pilot basis in 3 villages with the funding of Yokohoma Off-Highway Tires, it had improved the groundwater level in 139 wells in these 3 villages.

 “The wells which had water for only 3 months a year now have 30 to 40 feet water from 9 to 12 months after the restoration work. So, we’re extending this exercise to 20 villages in 13 more village panchayats of Maanur block,” he said.

He thanked Yokohoma Off-Highway Tires for actively taking part in the community, sanitation and water management programmes by spending money through its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Explaining the objectives of this programme, the experts said the exercise would result in augmenting recharge of groundwater aquifers through recharge shafts and recharge trenches. It would enhance ‘water spread area’ and water-holding capacity of minor irrigation tanks.

After removing the invasive species like Prosopis juliflora, indigenous trees will be planted around the renovated water bodies. The farmers will be exposed to integrated crop management techniques and rearing indigenous poultry birds to augment their income. The local youths will be trained in farm machinery maintenance and natural resources development.

 Following uprooting of Prosopis within and around the water bodies, 14,840 palmyra and other native plants will be grown along the bund. Baby ponds or recharge trenches will be formed to improve the groundwater, they said.

 Water management experts said the pilot project implemented in 3 villages of Maanur block in 2018 had resulted in storing of over 1.17 billion litres of water by strengthening the aquifer. So, the new venture would improvement groundwater table a lot, they said.

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Printable version | Oct 14, 2022 6:43:58 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/project-to-rejuvenate-20-water-bodies-in-13-village-panchayat-launched/article66010290.ece