Yadgir Zilla Panchayat has identified 102 tanks for rejuvenation after removing silt to protect water sources. Once these tanks are rejuvenated, underground water level will go up.
The project to rejuvenate tanks will be taken up under Mission Amrita Sarovara as part of National Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Payment for each worker has been fixed at ₹309 a day.
The zilla panchayat has 264 tanks and of these, 102 have been identified now, though the earlier target was 75. Rejuvenation work has already started in 52 tanks and the work on the remaining tanks will be taken up soon. “Despite the target, we are aiming to rejuvenating the tanks that have been identified now,” Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat Amaresh Naik told The Hindu.
A majority of the villages have tanks as their water source. People use tank water for daily use and also for drinking purposes, washing livestock and irrigation.
“Most of the tanks will dry during summer. If silt is removed during monsoon, rainwater can be stored and that will help recharge nearby borewells, open wells and other water sources,” a farm labour who was at the work spot said.
The zilla panchayat has also decided to give silt that will be removed from tanks to farmers at no cost so that they can use it in their fields. “We plan to give the removed silt to farmers, if they show interest. Otherwise, we plan to use it to make bunds surrounding tanks,” Mr. Naik said.
The other people-friendly work that the zIlla panchayat has planned is planting trees to make tank bunds more green. “It is aimed to plant saplings in such areas to develop greenery,” he said.
