Cuddalore: In an attempt to tide over the water crisis, Cuddalore district administration launched a massive water conservation programme. Considering the drought like situation prevailing in Cuddalore now, the district administration initiated the water conservation programme with the primary objective of rain water harvesting, ground water conservation, balanced use of ground water, and recycling of industrial effluents and domestic waste water.
The average annual rainfall of Cuddalore district is 1,290 mm. Of this, about 70 per cent rain falls during the North East Monsoon period, that too within a span of 15 to 21 days.
This year the North East monsoon passed with hardly any rain and because of Cuddalore ‘s reliance on monsoon rain for its water requirements, the district faces acute drinking water shortage and agriculture has been severely affected causing large scale unemployment. The farmers of the district have been doubly disappointed with Cauvery water flow too.
Considering the situation, the district administration launched the water conservation programme which was inaugurated by District Collector T.P. Rajesh, who is also the mission head, at Cuddalore Collectorate on Saturday.
“It is not practically possible to fully harvest the rain water, thereby a major part of it is draining off to sea. Ground water table will also decline in the coming months,” an official release said.The administration has classified the development blocks in the district into three, based on ground water usage. Out of the 13 development blocks in Cuddalore District, Cuddalore and Kammapuram draw more than 100 per cent of ground water, thereby classified as over exploited. Annagramam, Melbhuvanagiri and Panruti blocks draw 70 to 90 per cent of ground water and classified as semi-critical and rest of the eight blocks fall under safe category where less than 70 per cent utilisation of ground water occurs, the release said.
As part of the programme, initially a massive public awareness campaign will be conducted in all local bodies with the active participation of general public.
Major activities planned under the mission involve construction of check dams, farm ponds, sub surface dykes, micro-irrigation for agriculture and horticulture crops mulching hydroponics, community ponds, recharge shafts, and summer ploughing.
Funds allotted to the departments concerned under various water conservation related works will be converged in to the mission, officials of the district administration said.
Different organisations in the district are also working in coordination with the district administration to address the water crisis.
‘Namma Cuddalore’, a people movement that has been triggered with a motive to strengthen the infrastructure and life needs of people in Cuddalore, has been conducting different programmes to conserve water in the district.
“We are taking up different works to protect water bodies in the district. One among them is eradication of the seemai karuvelam weed (prosopis juliflora) from the water spread area of the tanks to ensure free flow of water,” said Natesha Iyyer, one of the coordinators of ‘Namma Cuddalore’.
Also, meetings are being held with general public to educate them on the importance conservation of water bodies. Different projects have been submitted to the district authorities to protect the water bodies and ground water sources in a vision to save it for future use, she said.
The new initiative of the administration would be carried out through coordination of different departments with the active participation of NGOs, and organizations, said the district administration.
