04

Chennai: Around 12.50 lakh dug wells owned by farmers across Tamil Nadu will be recharged using rainwater run-offs from agricultural fields to improve irrigation facilities and also the quality of groundwater, particularly in areas that are fluoride-affected.
    The Rs 509-crore scheme, to be implemented under a national programme, will cover all districts excluding Chennai, Kanyakumari, the Nilgiris and Ariyalur. A total of 232 blocks categorised (in terms of groundwater exploitation) as over-exploited (142 blocks), critical (33) and semi-critical (57) have been identified.
    As many as four lakh wells in Vellore division and 2.5 lakh in Salem division, which were deemed to be worst-affected by the presence of fluoride in ground water, would be recharged under the scheme, specially envisaged for implementation in hard rock areas, official sources said.
    The average unit cost for dug well recharge is estimated at Rs 4,000. While marginal farmers (defined as those who with land holding from nil to one hectare) and small farmers (one to two hectares) will be given 100 % subsidy to install recharge structures for their wells, those holding more than two hectares will be provided 50 % subsidy.
    The subsidy amount will be disbursed by NABARD through a lead bank in the respective districts to identified beneficiaries.
    Officials said about 56,000 wells across the state had been taken up for recharge in the initial phase and the project was expected to be completed by March 2009. Preliminary studies as well as post-project impact assessment studies would be carried out through reputed agencies, the sources added.
    A state level steering committee (SLSC), headed by the chief secretary, will be responsible for the overall implementation of the scheme. It will also function as an interface with multi-disciplinary agencies, besides planning capacity building and training programmes and coordinating with various district level implementation and monitoring committees.
    The government has also appointed the state ground and surface water resources data centre of the water resources department as the nodal agency.
    The programme of artificial recharge to groundwater through dug wells is being implemented in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, besides Tamil Nadu. The overall cost has been estimated at Rs 1,871 crore with a subsidy component of Rs 1499.27 crore.

WATER TABLE

    Around 12.50 lakh dug wells owned by farmers across Tamil Nadu will be recharged using rain water run-offs from agricultural fields
    The Rs 509-crore scheme to be implemented under a national programme, will cover all districts except Chennai, Kanyakumari, the Nilgris and Ariyalur
    A total of 232 blocks are categorised in terms of groundwater exploitation as over-exploited (142 blocks), critical (33) and semi-critical (57)
    The average unit cost for dug well recharge is estimated at Rs 4,000
    Officials said about 56,000 wells across the state has been taken up for recharge in the initial phase
    The project is expected to be completed by March 2009