The Telangana government is planning to approach either the World Bank (WB) or the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to help fund the restoration of minor tanks for its prestigious ‘Mission Kakatiya’ being taken up across the State.
WB and JICA assistance is already being taken up for the community-based tank management project and irrigation & livelihoods improvement project in the region. With various works to be taken up for redeveloping over 9,000 tanks in the first phase identified and tendering process is on, the government is also mulling to form stakeholders committees to take care of the tanks post repairs.
For the first time, these stakeholders committees will also have members drawn from the communities of cattle-grazers, fishermen and washermen apart from farmers since afforestation, fishing and washing too are going to be part of allied activities to be taken on and near the restored tanks. There are about 4,700 existing water users bodies, senior officials said.
The government had earmarked about Rs. 2,000 crore (till March) in the interim budget and works proposed include desilting, feeder channel improvement, strengthening bunds, replacement of sluices, catchment area treatment, encroachments removal and so on. It is being proposed to take up 20 per cent works each year and complete repairs to all tanks in the next five years, they said.
The government is banking quite a bit on the efficient usage of water once the repairs are completed as the efforts under the Mission is to increase water retention, soil bonding and subsequent increase in the groundwater table in the area.
“We are also expecting the use of chemical fertilizers to come down by half and as a consequence, carbon credits can be earned,” said G. Malsur, Project Director, Community Based Tank Management Project.
