Tank Rehabilitation Research Articles

Spatiotemporal dynamics of water spread areas and vegetation health in the lower Vaigai sub-basin: A multi-sensor analysis using Sentinel-1A SAR and Sentinel-2A MSI (2018-2023)

A spatiotemporal analysis of water spread areas in tanks within the lower Vaigai sub-basin was performed using Sentinel-1A SAR imagery from 2018 to 2023. The analysis revealed a mean water spread area of 275.29 ha, with the highest being 628.29 ha in summer 2023 and the lowest at 5.55 ha in summer 2018. This was influenced by a total rainfall of 5777.06 mm, with an average of 879.14 mm annually. NDVI data from Sentinel-2 categorized crop health across 74.5 thousand ha, showing high no vegetation (20-45 %) and sparse vegetation (24-33 %) during the Kharif season. The Rabi season exhibited improved conditions, with moderate vegetation peaking at 40 % in 2020, while summer consistently showed crop stress with minimal good vegetation (up to 5 %). Given the arid conditions and dependence on irrigation tanks, the study underscores the importance of water availability for crop growth in lower Vaigai sub basin. In this investigation, the identification of poor crop performance during the Kharif and summer seasons can guide researchers and administrators to increase efforts on introduce drought-resistant crops, adjust planting schedules or implement supplemental irrigation over this region. Additionally, the insights gained from the present investigation on water spread dynamics in tanks recommend the development of climate-smart agricultural practices, including water-saving irrigation techniques and hydrological modelling, to enhance resilience. The results can further support government interventions, such as improving tank rehabilitation programs, which are crucial for ensuring sustainable crop production and food security in the Lower Vaigai sub-basin.

Protecting ancient water harvesting technologies in India: strategies for climate adaptation and sustainable development with global lessons

IntroductionAncient water harvesting systems, such as those from the Indus Valley Civilization (~3500 BCE), have been vital for irrigation and climate resilience, especially in arid regions. One such prominent system in South Asia, called tank irrigation, initially thrived through community management but declined post-independence due to colonial policies and neglect in Sri Lanka and India. This study evaluates current policy frameworks and rehabilitation programs to enhance the resilience of these systems in India, develop strategies for their protection and adaptation to climate change, and integrate global lessons for sustainable development.MethodsA systematic meta-analysis of grey literature was conducted to aggregate data on policy constraints. Policy analysis involved detailed investigations of relevant documents, regulations, and comparative analyses of frameworks at regional and national levels. Pilot projects on tank rehabilitation were assessed through reported case studies and field surveys to gauge impact. Thematic analysis was used to explore the global potential of these systems in climate resilience and overall environmental sustainability.ResultsThe analysis showed that pilot projects for tank rehabilitation had limited success in achieving sustainability under current climate conditions. Tank irrigation systems are crucial for adapting to extreme weather, including floods, droughts, and heat waves, replenishing groundwater, reducing soil erosion, and ensuring reliable water supplies. Traditional water harvesting technologies support 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including clean water access, hunger reduction, gender equality, and climate action. Integrating AI and machine learning in water management benefits disaster response, while eco-tourism aids system maintenance and cultural awareness.DiscussionThe study underscores the need for policy reforms to enhance tank rehabilitation and institutional arrangements. It calls for increased beneficiary participation and constitutional recognition of current practices. Strategic, national-scale assessments and resilience targets are recommended to improve the effectiveness of such water harvesting systems in mitigating natural hazards and enhancing environmental services.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Minor Irrigation Tank Rehabilitation Using Run-Off and Storage Capacity: A Case Study from Ambuliyar Sub-Basin, Tamil Nadu, India

This research examines the significance of restoring efficient water management systems in India’s semiarid environment, with special emphasis on the role of traditional irrigation structures, such as tanks, in collecting and storing limited water resources. Assessing the benefits of any restoration program, especially when socioeconomic and environmental benefits are involved, is challenging. In the context of tank rehabilitation, a cost-benefit analysis will be conducted regarding economic and ecological returns in the post-desiltation phase. Since the restoration process requires a significant investment, assessing the project’s viability during the planning stage is better. The present study proposes a novel method to indirectly analyse the cost-benefit of the tank restoration process by correlating run-off and storage capacity of tanks before the planning phase. The Ambuliyar sub-basin, which covers an area of 930 square kilometres in Tamil Nadu, India, comprising 181 tanks (water bodies) of varying sizes and shapes, was taken for this study. This study employed the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method, incorporating factors such as soil type, land cover, land use practices, and advanced remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to simulate surface run-off. Run-off volume and tank capacity were compared for all seasons at the micro-watershed level. The results demonstrated that the run-off volume in each micro-watershed significantly exceeded the tank capacity across all seasons. Even during the summer, the run-off volumes in the micro-watershed were considerably higher than the tank capacity. The findings suggest tank restoration can effectively store run-off and significantly fulfil agricultural and other essential needs throughout the year, thereby improving the local rural economy. This study also highlights the need for periodic maintenance and rehabilitation of these tank systems to retain their functionality.

Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Tank Maintenance and Conservation – An Economic Valuation Approach

Contingent Valuation Method involves a resource by imputing a monetary value on the response of the people affected by the change in the state of the resource. In this study, contingent valuation method is used to study the factors influencing farmers decision on willingness to pay and payment levels for tank maintenance and conservation and to rank the reasons for farmers willingness to pay and non-willingness to pay. Two tanks surrounding the Noyyal river in Tirupur district of Tamil Nadu namely, Manickapuram tank and Anaipalayam tank were selected purposively. A quota of 30 farmers surrounding each tank were randomly selected and interviewed for willingness to pay after clearly explaining the benefits of tank rehabilitation, maintenance and conservation. The collected data were analyzed using Logistic, Multiple regression and Garette ranking technique. The study revealed that past benefit had a greater influence on farmers decision on Willingness to pay. Age, Education, Farm income, Farming experience and Land holding influences the payment levels. The study also identified and ranked the reasons for farmers willingness to pay and non-willingness to pay. Finally, the study recommends the farmers to construct small percolation ponds for improving the quality of groundwater.

Factors Influencing the Success of Tank Rehabilitation Projects in India and Sri Lanka: A Meta-Analysis

Official journal of the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. Tropical Agricultural Research publishes complete accounts of research of outstanding significance, together with critical review articles on all aspects of agriculture including agronomy and crop production, horticulture, agricultural biology, food and nutrition, soil and water resource management, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, animal science, biotechnology, plant protection, genetics and plant breeding.Tropical Agricultural Research is now indexed in DOAJ.

An Analytical Study for Assessing Water Productivity in Pre‐ and Post‐Rehabilitation Period of Rural Tank System

Water productivity is the ratio of the amount of water applied to the field in cubic meter and the net return gained in rupees. Increased water productivity leads to an improved occupational value for the farmers. Tank rehabilitation allows for additional water to be added to an irrigation tank, increasing water production. Hence, this study is carried out to assess the net return for a unit of water used in the pre‐ and post‐rehabilitated period of rural tank “Pelasur” in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. The findings reveal that during the post‐tank restoration period, a higher percentage of tail reach and marginal farmers benefited. Farmers who irrigate solely with tank water have higher water production since their income per m3 is higher. The significant impact of tank repair was demonstrated using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS‐21.0).

TANK REHABILITATION THROUGH SOCIAL CAPITAL PAPER

There have been a great number of efforts made in various countries to introduce farmer organization, commonly called as water user associations (WUAs) to achieve greater farmer participation in irrigation management. Interestingly there are incidences of farmer participation introduced even in a larger irrigation scheme where definite net benefits could be seen very shortly after the introduction and many more comments on positive effects on participation than negative ones recorded. (Norman Uphoff, 1986) The present research emerged with the research question: What are the important recipes for successful farmer organization particularly in divergent social conditions to achieve common goals? And How does social capital helps nurture and mobilise men and materials for tank rehabilitation? In a cluster of non system tanks, two tanks namely Kedar from Villupuram district and Kattiampandal from Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, India, were selected as it showed complexities in building social capital among the stakeholders during tank rehabilitation. The objective of this study is to explore reasons for the complexities in the process of building and sustaining social capital for tank rehabilitation. Employing the method called content analysis, the variety of social capital built in the two districts were studied and concluded that it was attributable to the social, economic and political factors such as collective consciousness, caste, financial capital, and leadership responsibilities.

A Statistical Methodology for Impact Study on Irrigation Tank Rehabilitation

A Statistical Methodology for Impact Study on Irrigation Tank Rehabilitation

Efficiency Analysis of Irrigation Tanks

Village tanks in some parts of India, particularly in dry zones, have been one of the most important water resources on which the rural communities depend on for their livelihood. Though these traditional water harvesting structures provide a number of services like drinking water and protective irrigation, their importance and contribution declined during the post-independence period. Recognising the importance of irrigation tanks for agricultural development, the central government and some state governments of India have taken various irrigation development programmes like tank rehabilitation to improve surface irrigation. The present study attempts to measure the efficiency of the selected 50 irrigation tanks in dry zones in the state of West Bengal in India. The efficiency scores of the selected irrigation tanks have been evaluated using the non-parametric technique of data envelopment analysis (DEA). The study reveals that there is a wide variation in efficiency scores across the tanks with an average efficiency score being 0.688. The Tobit regression analysis reveals that the tanks with private ownership and of smaller size have higher efficiency levels. The study outcomes from this research will be useful for policymakers to adopt right policy in the direction of sustainable development.

Economic impact of tank rehabilitation in rainfed region of India

The present investigation measures economic impact of tanks restoration on productivity and income of 240 farm households in rainfed region of India. The detailed information was collected with designed questionnaire for the period 2017–18 from farm households using tank irrigation in two districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Propensity score matching technique was employed to assess the impact of tank rehabilitation. Findings revealed that restoration of tanks leads to an improvement in production and livelihood of tank water users in the study area. Yield and income of rice crop is increased by a magnitude of 0.54–0.62 tonne/ha and ₹6045/ha to ₹8278/ha respectively. Study suggests that to achieve food security and to mitigate the scarcity of water, restoration of tanks is inevitable for rainfed regions. Further, recasting such protocols and replicating similar models to other regions not only enhance the sustainable agricultural production but also improve livelihoods of millions of small and marginal farmers in the country.

Tank Rehabilitation in Chennai Peri-Urban Area

Urban cities rely on surface water resources such as lakes, rivers for their survival, anthropogenic activities, rapid urbanization and industrialization had put thrust on such water bodies in major cities across India. Bountiful research works conducted also proves that such resources are rapidly depleting, and it also conveys that very few reasons contribute to major deterioration of lakes. Two major parameters that contribute to this deterioration include discharge of sewage into the water bodies and unplanned encroachments along the banks. This study aimed as a sustainable water resource management technique to rehabilitate a highly deteriorated tank in Kovilambakkam village, Peri- urban in Chennai city, India. The tank which is one of the primary sources of water for the area is affected highly due to urbanization and the natural ecosystem is disturbed. A best possible solution for rehabilitation is suggested using Socio-Economic method utilizing qualitative analysis like a PRA tools (Transect Walk, Focus group Discussion, Key Informant Interview, Resource map, Semi-Structured Interview), measures to improve and safe guard the lake were taken. To analyze the performance of the work water quality analysis was done to verify physical, chemical and biological parameters, both before and after rehabilitation is done, it is found that the performance with reference to biological parameters such as MPN index. Promising results were obtained in this study restoring the lake to its original condition which started serving the indigenous people proving the effectiveness of the suggested method.

Social actors in traditional tank rehabilitation: a case study of Tamil Nadu (India)

Many conventional participatory resource appraisal projects in India have been criticized for their observed poor standard of equity. Here, the participating community is treated just as a free source of labour, and majority of them do not have any share to the benefits. The Vayalagam Tankfed Agricultural Development Program (VTADP) of the Madurai-based Development of Human Action (DHAN) Foundation is a positive exception to this trail. Apart from the regular technical and institutional aspects of tank management, the program has successfully included the other relevant dimensions of livelihood improvement of the tank communities. It has scaled up the level of equity and sustainability of the said program, and set an alternative example to the government funded tank rehabilitation programs. This paper attempts to explore the various mechanisms of community involvement of the VTADP and assess the nature of changes in community livelihood after the program implementation.

Impact of Tank Silt on Soil Fertility-A Study in Mysuru District

A de-silting programme of Dorekere tank was undertaken in Piriyapatna taluk of Mysuru district in 2012–13. This study was undertaken in 2014 to assess the impact of de-silting on the tank and of silt application on the farmers’ fields. A total of 32 soil samples were analyzed of which one was control and 6 were from the tank bed. The remaining 25 samples were drawn from fields of farmers who had applied silt in the year 2012–13. Tank silt had average 68%, 25% and 7% silt, clay and sand, respectively. Application of silt to farm lands had increased the silt content from 45% to 49% whereas clay and sand contents had reduced marginally from 30% to 29%, and from 25% to 22%, respectively, leading to improved soil porosity and moisture holding capacity. The average pH of soils applied with silt was 7.27, with 0.17 ds/m EC and 0.49% OC, indicating no significant impact on soil physical parameters. The analysis also revealed there was no reduction in the quantity of fertilizers used by farmers. However, the major crop tobacco showed better vegetative growth, though the curing issues reduced income from tobacco. There was 20 to 25% higher yield of finger millet and dolichos apart from more fodder yields and increased revenues. Tank rehabilitation, thus, had improved the tank storage capacity, crop yields and revenues. Building farmers’ awareness about the method of silt application and soil test-based nutrient application would ensure better results for further improving soil fertility and sustainability of farming.

Water security and rainwater harvesting: A conceptual framework and candidate indicators

Rainwater-harvesting tanks (reservoirs) in Tamil Nadu, India support agricultural livelihoods, mitigate water insecurity, and enable ecosystem services. However, many tanks have fallen into disrepair, as private wells have supplanted collectively managed tanks as the dominant irrigation source. Meanwhile, encroachment by peri-urban development, landless farmers, and Prosopis juliflora has reduced inflow and tank capacity. This exploratory study presents a conceptual framework and proposed indicator set for measuring water security in the context of rainwater harvesting tanks. The primary benefits of tanks and threats to their functionality are profiled as a precursor to construction of a causal network of water security. The causal network identifies the key components, causal linkages, and outcomes of water security processes, and is used to derive a suite of indicators that reflect the multiple economic and socio-ecological uses of tanks. Recommendations are provided for future research and data collection to operationalize the indicators to support planning and assessing the effectiveness of tank rehabilitation.

ROLE OF REHABILITATED TANKS IN IMPROVING WATER SECURITY IN GOMUKHI SUB BASIN OF VELLAR BASIN

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. India has more number of villages and farming is the main occupation in villages. The artificial application of water to the agricultural lands is basically done through tanks, canals, sprinklers and drips. However tank irrigation is considered as one of the ancient irrigation system since the age of South Indian tanks are several centuries old and had started declining progressively. Due to inadequate rainfall, improper maintenance of tank components the tank irrigation system follows a declining trend, almost all the command area under any tank irrigation system depends on the wells located in the fields. This paper focused on how has the tank rehabilitation helps to improve agricultural production under the tank command and how it improves water security. The tank’s performance is assessed through some indicators from engineering aspect, agricultural aspect and financial aspect. Based on the selected engineering indicators the service delivery index for head reach, middle, tail end for the tank command has been calculated. The result shows that the service delivery index is high in head reach, moderate in middle and low in tail end. Agricultural production was increased after the tank rehabilitation and it improves water security. The tank rehabilitation has also increased the water level in the adjacent wells, but there is no direct contribution from the tank to tail end farmers due to siltation of field channels. The wells located in the fields sustaining agriculture in the tail end, however the middle and head reach farmers are practicing conjunctive use of tank and well water.

Cost benefit analysis of village tank rehabilitation programme in Hambantota district, Sri Lanka

Village tanks provide multiple benefits to the local people living in their periphery and also to communitiesoutside the area. Non recognition of the true values of this resource has led to their degradation. Forexample, tank rehabilitation is usually not economically justifiable when the paddy benefits alone areconsidered. The main objective of this research was therefore to compare costs of village tankrehabilitation programme with the multiple benefits of village tanks.Villagers use tank water for agriculture, fish, domestic purposes, livestock rearing, and also for industrysuch as brick production. There are in addition, recreational benefits enjoyed by the households. Suchmultiple benefits have been evaluated by a survey conducted in 10 village tanks (7 isolated and 3cascade tanks) in Hambantota district of Sri Lanka. 175 households who live adjacent to the selectedtanks were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire with embedded contingent valuation surveyduring the maha season of2005/2006. Information on the use of tank system for purposes other thanpaddy cultivation was collected and contingent valuation method, market price approach and opportunitycost method were used in order to derive the economic value.The benefits and costs were analyzed in a cost benefit framework using a 20 year time period and10% discount rate. Results indicate that the rehabilitation project is only justifiable when multiplebenefits are included. When paddy benefits alone are compared with tank rehabilitation costs, itresults in negative net present value.The implications of the results in reversing the attitudes of the government towards small tanks andtheir role in enhancing rural economies are also discussed.

Should We Rehabilitate Our Tank or Build a New One?

There are several things to consider when rehabbing an existing water tank. One of the first questions to answer is whether tank rehabilitation is less expensive than building a new tank. A thorough inspection can help answer this question. Additional capacity and a lack of funds also play a role in the decision.

Impact of Water Resources Protection on Local Ground Water Market

Tanks are important means to conserve water resources in semi-arid areas. Tank irrigation in general, and in Tamil Nadu in particular, has a long history, and it can be traced to prehistoric times. Poor management of the integrated tank system including its structures and distribution system is one of the major reasons for decline of tank irrigated area. Rehabilitating tanks enhanced groundwater recharge leads to increased water table in the wells located in the command area. Hence well owning farmers can able to cultivate three times paddy crop in a year with the available ground water. Also they can provide water for adjacent non-well owning farmers for their second crop (during maturity stage) and third crop (whole season) cultivation by charging either cash or kind. This local ground water market helps villagers to cultivate more area and season, leads to efficient water use and increased income generation for the villagers. To prove the above statement a study was carried out in rural village of South India with an interview schedule and the data were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science). The result shows that the tank rehabilitation is highly correlated with local ground water market in post rehabilitation period.

A Construction Work of Coupled Water Intake and Spillway in Irrigation Tank Rehabilitation

A Construction Work of Coupled Water Intake and Spillway in Irrigation Tank Rehabilitation

NATIONAL WATER GRID—ITS OBJECTIVE AND CHALLENGE

ABSTRACT In countries like India, having a large variation of water resources with space and time, inter-basin water transfer projects seem to be the ultimate solution to ease the water crisis and achieve a stable economic growth of the nation. But the projects of such huge magnitudes are always prone to large controversies, due to their numerous advantages and disadvantages. The water crisis in India may be stated as due to its vast expanse, huge population and a large variation of annual precipitation, both spatially and temporally. The substitute to the interlinking of rivers can be considered as adopting some techniques like extensive water harvesting, massive dredging operations to improve upon the water carrying capacity of the river systems, extensive soil conservation, tank rehabilitation schemes in the south and linking up all the existing coastal navigational canals for economical transport. This paper presents the scenario of inter-basin water transfers in India, its objectives, scope and the challenges to be met in the investigation, planning, design, execution and maintenance of the project.