A group of 11 students from the Agriculture College of Annamalai University and from the Department of Environmental Management of Bharathidasan University conducted an awareness programme on proper maintenance of rural tanks for a sustained conservation of groundwater table in 10 villages in and around Keeranur in the district.
The villages covered are Puliyur, Kannaangudi, Visaloor, Odugampatti, Keezhaiyur, Kovil, Veerakudi, Valiyampatti, Kundrandarkovil and Udaiyalipatti.
The fortnight-long programme was organised jointly by ‘Kudumbam’, a non-governmental organisation working for rural development and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.
The students prepared a water conservation plan in consultation with the local farmers and women members.
“The villagers went down the memory lane and explained that the water table of these tanks had depleted seriously, affecting the agricultural operation altogether,” said B. Gnanapakkiyam, one of the resource-persons from the Annamalai University.
Saravanan, another resource person from the Bharathidasan University, said that the plan aimed at restoration of the storage of the tank to its original capacity. They also explained about the supply channels and drainage channels which had existed in the past but needed adequate maintenance now. All these would go a long way in enhancing the groundwater table which now stood at 700 feet below the ground.
The programme went down well with the villagers who extended their support for conservation of water tanks, according to the resource-persons.
