Rainfed irrigation tanks catch and store surface run off during intensive spells of monsoon rainfall. Poverty stricken rural community especially the farmers depend mainly on the tank systems for their livelihood as they play a vital role in agriculture. Due to continuous negligence of maintenance, the performance of the tank system has become very poor affecting the poor rural community. The rehabilitation process includes desilting of linked channels and the tank beds.

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View of Irrigation tank

The goals of the project are to rehabilitate all 6 tanks in the Vellathukottai tank cascade system to enhance crop production in the command area of 210 ha serving 340 farmers and benefiting another 420 families indirectly. To ensure sustainability of improvement by transferring the skills to the community. Ensuring nutrition security for the local people through fish rearing. Another goals is improving the micro climate around the water bodies through 20 micro finance groups.

Since the project is going to be implemented by the local community through their associations after skill building, the future maintenance and management of the system will be taken over by them and so the sustainability will be ensured. The people are also willing to contribute 10 – 15% of the rehabilitation cost to establish their right and involvement in project activities. In addition to this, the micro finance activities / fisheries activities will keep the vibrancy of the institutions around the tanks leading to continuity in maintenance.

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