CHENNAI: In a major push to strengthen irrigation facilities, the state government has granted administrative sanction to the Water Resources Department (WRD) to carry out repair, renovation and restoration (RRR) works in 100 water tanks across Kallakurichi, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts.
The initiative will be implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), which focuses on efficient use of water and expanding irrigation coverage.
The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 111.48 crore, with the state government contributing Rs 10.56 crore. The remaining funds are expected from the union government. “A total of 89 tanks are located in the Madurai region covering Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts, while the remaining 11 are in Kallakurichi district under the Chennai region,” a senior WRD official told TNIE.
As per the conditions of the scheme, to get funds from the centre, a government order has been issued declaring that all 100 tanks are free from encroachments. “WRD officials have inspected and certified that all 100 tanks are encroachment-free,” the official said. Following this, a formal request for central funds has been sent. “We hope the funds will be sanctioned in the first week of July. Once the funds are sanctioned, we will float the tenders,” the official added.
Explaining the significance of the scheme, another WRD official said, “The RRR programme aims to conserve catchment areas of tanks, improving water storage and supply channels and thereby increasing agricultural productivity, boosting groundwater recharge, and meeting local drinking water needs.”
The official pointed out that many of these tanks are in poor condition, with feeder channels either narrowed or collapsed, allowing only minimal flow into the tanks. “The project will help restore the tanks to their full capacity,” he said.
The official further noted that RRR works have already been completed on 480 of the 645 tanks taken up earlier under the same scheme at a cost of Rs 498.18 crore.