Tamil Nadu has taken up more than 40,000 water conservation projects under the VB-G RAM G scheme during the current financial year, with the works focused on expanding local water storage, improving groundwater recharge and strengthening rural water security amid fluctuating rainfall.
The programme includes more than 13,000 ponds, around 1,700 check dams and 10,598 groundwater recharge shafts created by converting defunct hand pumps. Recharge wells and percolation tanks are also being developed, particularly in blocks identified as facing severe groundwater stress, officials said.
The number of recharge shafts planned this year is nearly ten times the little over 1,000 taken up during the previous financial year. Officials said the works are being prioritised in arid and semi-arid areas, where improving the retention of rainwater is intended to reduce dependence on groundwater extraction.
A senior official said the programme would focus on harvesting and retaining rainwater so that rural areas could better cope with rainfall fluctuations. Districts including Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Tirupur have been identified for emphasis because of declining groundwater levels.
The department has also prioritised blocks in the delta region to improve the movement of water through supply channels in village panchayats. Construction of ponds at more than 6,000 sites is almost complete, according to officials. The works were identified based on local requirements and demands raised by village panchayats.
More than 17,000 workers have been engaged to desilt channels and clear vegetation along 19,085 km of channels. Officials said workers enrolled under the scheme were being used for activities intended to improve water flow through local irrigation and drainage networks.
The Union government has released ₹2,176 crore as the first instalment under the scheme. Funding follows a 60:40 Centre-state pattern, and the Tamil Nadu government has also contributed its share, officials said. A significant portion of the allocation is being used for wages for workers engaged in water-conservation activities.
The state has planned 1,752 check dams for the current financial year. Construction of these structures is expected to begin soon, officials said. The projects are being implemented as part of the state’s effort to increase water-storage capacity and groundwater recharge through decentralised works across rural areas.
