The Integrated Tank Rehabilitation Project

At present, the SCOPE is working towards the endeavour of an Integrated Tank Rehabilitation project in Kalaghatagi block, Dharwad district, Karnataka. The main aim of the project is to rehabilitate and ensure conservation four tanks which are situated in the interior corner of the block, through building sustainable community institutions. The organization is also concentrating to work with the farmers of the respective tank command areas to popularize System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and to promote organic practices.

Features of the Project Area

• Kalaghatagi block is one of the most backward blocks (Taluka) of Dharwad district, Karnataka, which is the most significant block in terms of existence of maximum number of irrigation tanks (72% of the tanks in Dharwad district). Mosalikatti village is a remote village situated in the western part of the block, comprising of 105 households with a population of 680 (42.6% women). The working population i.e. the age group of 16-45 is 16.5%. It is a multi caste village belonging to 5 different castes with 86% Marathas. Education level is very low. Government lower primary school and Anganwadi exist in the village. Three women Self Help Group (SHG) are functioning.


• The locale is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood which in turn depends on 3 existent tanks viz. Mudaki Kere, Rayakar Kere and Kallapana Katti Kere that are not effectively functional (before intervention). Village settlement is on the right hand side of the tanks. Few landless people in the village depend on wage works. About 90 people migrate to the cities in search of wage labor. Under the tank command area, everybody grows paddy where as in the catchment area the farmers grow Cotton, Sunflower, Jowar and other crops. Dry land of 350 Acre is held by the villagers apart from the tank command area.



Necessity of the Project



• In the backward village of Mosalikatti two tanks viz. Mudaki Kere and Rayakar Katti Kere are undertaken for this tank rehabilitation project. The need for the selection of these tanks could be grasped through the following points.


• * The tanks have been mismanaged by the villagers which has disrupted various structures causing the ineffective functioning.


• * Tank beds were silted up to an extent of 4-5 feet.


• * No provision to control the flow of water to command area leading to wastage of stored water that in turn causes scarcity for irrigation. It affects water availability during the off-season too. It even obstructs the ground water recharge.


• * Waste-weirs were damaged influencing the inability of water to reach Full Tank Level (FTL) lessening the surety of water for irrigation.


• * Mudaki kere was completely dysfunctional where in about 4 meter of bund was breached and tank bed was silted up causing inability of water storage.


• * The status of the command area utilization before the intervention (below). Your browser may not support display of this image. On an average, only 54% of the command area of the tanks was utilized for agriculture due to mismanagement of the tanks.


• * Another reason for underutilization, perhaps, is that the tanks are poorly managed by Government Departments. People are still dependent on tanks for the irrigation as there have been no medium and big irrigation projects. Knowing all this, the tank farmers are indeed interested but do not have courage to take up the rehabilitation projects on their own. Marginal farmers are too poor to be able to mobilize the necessary capital and technology for more productive use of the resources.


• Herein arouses the need for the intervention on rehabilitation of the tanks in Mosalikatti village for ensuring the sustainable livelihood of the people. Thus the SCOPE intervened with regard to rehabilitation of two tanks in the year of 2008-09. Both the tanks required rehabilitation mainly by way of desiltation, strengthening of bund and its revetment, establishment of control gates and construction of waste weir, etc. with the community involvement.



Tank Rehabilitation Outcome-Progress



• The Integrated Tank Rehabilitation project during the year 2008-09 in Mosalikatti village exhibited various developments aiding to strengthen the livelihood of the people. The dilapidated tank structures are in place and are usable. The command area farmers are facilitated to organize themselves into Tank development associations and are enabled to take up larger responsibilities in managing their village tanks in a sustainable manner. The tank development has helped to increase storage capacity of the tank, proper flow of water to command area, increase in ability of the tanks to recharge the ground water.


• Apart from the tank rehabilitation, the command area farmers are enthused to undertake SRI method and to inculcate organic practices in their farming. The complexities in dealing with the interested and non-interested groups (such as Fishery activity) in the village for tank rehabilitation project were an integral of the project.


• The Integrated Tank Rehabilitation project during the year 2008-09 has made a dent for the farmer managed tank rehabilitation scheme in the surrounding area. Demand from the adjacent village for facilitating the similar project in their tanks has been expressed.