The Bangaru Vaickkal Neeradhara Kootamaippu, a water users’ association has urged the Puducherry government to create a new Water Resources Department on the lines of other States and revive the Tank Rehabilitation Project - Puducherry (TRPP).
In a memorandum addressed to Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, the president of the Water Users Association V. Chandrasekhar said that farmers and residents were already facing frequent flooding even after short spells of rains.
“This was mainly due to the lack of any design capabilities with the Public Works Department or other concerned departments who go virtually on a trial and error approach to improving the drainage systems.”
Mr. Chandrasekhar pointed out that with the monsoon fast approaching, none of the major irrigation-cum-drainage channels located in the prime agricultural areas in Puducherry had been desilted. Though tenders had been called for some of the channels, no work has been initiated so far. In addition, not all strategic channels are covered systematically and the quality of work being carried out through the contractual system is far from being satisfactory as well, Mr. Chandrasekhar said.
“The whole irrigation management system in Puducherry now presents a picture of neglect after the management of tanks by the participatory tank users’ association was discontinued. The tanks were then managed by the local communities - from the Kudimaramathu scheme during the pre-French to the Syndicate Agricole/Caisse Commune systems during the French regime and the TRPP based management from 1998-2008. The TRPP doubled the storage capacity of several tanks.”
“While the ownership of 82 out of 84 irrigation tanks lies with the Local Administration Department, they do not have the expertise or the manpower to manage them and the responsibilities are with the PWD. Hence, the government should create a new Water Resources Department as is the practice in all States and ensure a Participatory Irrigation Management Act and plan based on the same,” Mr. Chandrasekhar added.
The water users’ association also demanded the government to reconstitute the TRPP and create a decentralised, people-managed irrigation system to prevent wastage of water resources.
