IMPACT OF TANK REHABILITATION

Abstract

India experiences extremes of climate within its 329 M ha of newlinegeographical area. Rainfall pattern is neither predictable nor uniform over newlinespace and time. The incident of rainfall is also seasonal, occurring mainly newlineduring the Southwest monsoon (June to September) in most part of the newlineCountry except the rain shadow areas of the Western Ghats (step mountainous newlineregion), notably Tamil Nadu. This hydrological characteristic of the Indian newlinemonsoon necessitated the creation of storage facilities to hold the rain water newlineof the monsoon and utilise the same at a later date. Hence, an extensive newlinesystem of rain water harvesting structures comprising tanks and ponds had newlinebeen built and maintained by the people for centuries. They were created newlineessentially as multiple-use structures for irrigation, livestock and human uses. newlineThe pre-eminence of tanks as a source of water storage and supply newlinefor multiple uses was gradually collapsed after independence (1947) due to a newlinevariety of factors, chiefly the development of large-scale gravity irrigation newlinesystems, rapid spread of tube well technology and decline in traditions of newlinecommunity management. There are evidences in declining functions of water newlineconservation, soil conservation, flood control and protection of ecology of the newlinesurrounding area due to dysfunctional tanks. Since tanks are inextricably newlinelinked to the socio-economic aspects of rural communities, their livelihoods newlineare dragged down extensively. Realising the importance of tanks, South newlineIndian states have started rehabilitating the tanks in the mid of 1980s under newlinestate funds as well as under external assistance. An initial objective of tank newlinerehabilitation was to increase the agricultural productivity per unit of water newlineiv newlineand later livelihood options of the rural poor in view of multiple use of tank newlinewater is embraced. newlineRehabilitation of tanks with community participation is expected to newlinehave an overall positive impact on the immediate environment. It also results newlinein an augmented supply of irrigation water, newline newline