Rehabilitation and management of tanks in India : a study of select states

A study conducted in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Pondicherry in 2004-2005 concludes that tank rehabilitation works, augmenting tank water and increasing tank storage have considerable impact on the livelihood options of the landless and marginal farmers. The involvement of self-help groups and provision of funding for income generation activity has a marked effect on their livelihood. The tanks are likely to become more sustainable when all the villagers become member of a tank users’ group. A comparative analysis of tank institutions is provided in this report. Traditional tank institutions seem to have several advantages, because of the personal involvement of the participants and their proximity to the resource area. Government-sponsored institutions are created essentially to meet the conditions of funding agencies. Once the project is completed the organizations disappear. Organizations formed by NGO-sponsored institutions are sustainable and vibrant; but the planning and rehabilitation cover the entire watershed as a whole. With the lessons learned from the case studies, a protocol for tank rehabilitation was developed. The policy changes and legal support required to implement this protocol is elaborated in this report. India has thousands of tanks and ponds which, if rejuvenated, will contribute to increasing food production, and will also provide a variety of livelihood options to the rural poor, especially women. This appears a more cost-effective option than creating new irrigation works.