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AFPRO is socio-technical partner to the Foundation for
Rural Recovery and Development (FORRAD) for a project
funded by Michelin India Tamil Nadu Tyres Pvt. Limited.
As part of its social responsibility, the company has
introduced this project to address issues of water
scarcity in 30 villages and hamlets adjacent to land
recently acquired by it in Gummidipoondi Block of
Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu.
A technical feasibility study was undertaken by AFPRO and
FORRAD to identify a practical low-cost solution for the
water scarcity. Lakes are the major water source for
agriculture in these villages. However, due to
accumulation of silt deposits, most these lakes have
lost their water carrying capacity. This has induced a
shortage of water for irrigation, further affecting crop
productivity. Irrigation channels too have silted up
leading to reduced water-use efficiency. A need-based
plan for desiltation and renovation of water sources and
irrigation channels has been drawn up, following which
plan activities are to be implemented in a phased manner
across the project area. All activities will be
implemented in a participatory approach for ownership
and sustainability of project interventions.
Until now, activities have been carried out in three
villages in consultation with local communities. In,
Mukarampakkam, cleaning and desiltation work of water
distribution channels has been taken up. In Karadiputhur
and
Kannankottai, three lakes have been identified per
village to be renovated along with all irrigation
channels.
The community has been involved in
monitoring progress of grass root level activities. They
were organized into User Groups on the basis of the
water source, and registers maintained by each such
Group for recording results and outcome. The Groups used
to report to the Village Development Committee (VDC)
periodically, which would in turn report in prescribed
formats to FORRAD Field Staff who were engaged in
monitoring the progress of activities. In addition to
socio-technical inputs at the planning and design stage,
AFPRO monitored activities on a periodic basis to ensure
that designs were accurately followed and quality
maintained. |
