Chennai: Tamil Nadu has taken up more than 40,000 water-conservation works under VB-G RAM G for the current financial year amid concerns over rainfall fluctuation and water stress in coming years.The works include creating more than 13,000 ponds, constructing around 1,700 check dams and converting over 10,000 defunct hand pumps into groundwater recharge shafts. Recharge wells and percolation tanks are also being created, particularly in blocks facing severe groundwater stress, said officials. The state govt has prioritised these works to augment local water-storage capacity, improve groundwater recharge and strengthen water security, they added.The department took up a little over 1,000 recharge shafts last fiscal year. This year, the number has increased nearly tenfold, with 10,598 shafts planned in arid and semi-arid areas to improve groundwater recharge, the official said.“The focus on harvesting and retaining rainwater is intended to help rural areas cope with fluctuations in rainfall and reduce dependence on groundwater extraction,” a senior official said, adding that there would be an emphasis over districts such as Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Tirupur that have depleting groundwater levels.The department has also prioritised blocks in the delta region to improve the flow of water through supply channels in village panchayats. Construction of ponds at more than 6,000 sites is almost complete, the official said. The department has engaged over 17,000 workers to desilt 19,085 km of channels and improve water flow.“Workers enrolled under VB-G RAM G have been effectively engaged in clearing bushes and desilting channels,” the official said, adding that the works had been identified based on local needs and demands in village panchayats.The Union govt has released ₹2,176 crore as its first instalment under the scheme, which follows a 60:40 Centre-state funding pattern. The state govt has also contributed its share, officials said. A significant portion of the funds goes towards wages for workers engaged in water-conservation activities.Construction of check dams will begin soon, the official said, adding that 1,752 check dams were planned across the state for the current financial year.
