1. SESSION“CS1: RAIN WATER HARVESTING AND WATER CONSERVATION AT LOCAL LEVEL”
MINOR IRRIGATION TANKS CONSERVATION: VAYALAGAM WAY
N.VENKATESAN
Chief Executive
DHAN Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation,
Madurai, India

2. Principles of Organizations for Managing the Water
WMAs (Water Management Associations) must set their own tasks and agendas
WMAs cannot be formed just by order
Attitude of the Irrigation agency must be supportive
Irrigation agency must be accountable to the water Users
WMAs should be built using social capital that exists
Good local leaders are required
No single model can be Imposed uniformly

3. Principles of Organizations for Managing the Water
Social organization for large systems is very complex
WMAs must be sustainable without subsidies
WMAs must also manage the environment
Training required at all levels
Building People institutions tale time
Water Management is multidisciplinary
Government agencies need to recognize and support WMAs

4. DHAN Foundation’s Vayalagam Tankfed Agriculture Development Programme
To promote people institutions around water bodies based on the hydrological units for ensuring local management on tank conservation and development.
To mobilize the resources from various agencies including mainstream for conservation and development of the small scale water bodies.
To stabilize the tankfed agriculture through collaborating with research stations and Agriculture universities for filed demonstrations and improved productivity measures.

5. DHAN Foundation’s Vayalagam Tankfed Agriculture Development Programme
To ensure the self management of tank system by creating linkages with local Panchayats through usufructs sharing agreement and other measures.
To integrate the components like micro finance activity, micro insurance, agriculture marketing, safe drinking water and fisheries as innovative pilots as to ensure the sustainable functions of the people institutions around each water body.
To ensure integrated village development as a holistic development in a long term perspective through people institutions around water bodies.

6. Structure of People Institution
Panchayats
Tank Associations
DVTF
Tank Cascade Association
District / Block Tank Federation
Sub Basin association
Tank Conservation Movement
DRDA / Other Govt. Agencies / Banks

7. DHAN Foundations Experiences as of now:
Working in 2300 villages
Working in 90 Blocks of 33 Districts in 7 States
Promoted 4300 Tank Associations
3.00 Lakhs farming families enrolled as members
185 more Tank Cascade Associations promoted
Initiated the basin and sub basin level associations at Gundar and Pambar & Kottakaraiar basins in TamilNadu and at Kountinya sub basin in Andra Pradesh State

8. Lessons learnt and suggestions for way forward
People owned governance for long term sustainability
Space for local leadership development in the model
Space for Self Growth and cost coverage for long time sustainability
Scope for development beyond Water Management
Scope and Space for collaborating with Panchayats at local level

9. Visit our website www.dhan.org
For more information
Kindly
Visit our website
Our contact address
DHAN Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation
1A, Vaidyanathapuram (East),
Kennet Cross road, Madurai ,
Tel: ;
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