Rejuvenation of Traditional Water Harvesting System in the Drought Prone Region of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Water is vital for all forms of life on earth. So, its efficient usage and management are crucial for the survival of human beings, particularly in regions like Tamil Nadu that depend on monsoons, as it is a major source of water. Recognizing the importance of monsoon, water harvesting systems were developed centuries ago, in this region. Such type of traditional water harvesting and management system is known as ‘Eri system’. However, in the past two decades, various regions of the state experience extreme floods from monsoon rainfall and face severe drought during the summer. This may be attributed to different factors such as the urbanization, land use change, improper management and neglect of the Traditional Water Harvesting Systems (TWHS). Therefore, the aim of the current research study is to assess the potentials for the revival of TWHS in the urbanized regions of Tamil Nadu and to develop guidelines for their rejuvenation by identifying the components of TWHS in a selected watershed and analyze its transformation and the extent of its deterioration. At first, to identify the study area, land use change was analyzed in a selected watershed in Cheyyar River Basin, Tamil Nadu. The most urbanized area within the watershed i.e., Polur was selected for detailed study. The analysis outcomes revealed that the study area has water bodies with different levels of degradation. Further, the study also compared two water bodies with different levels of deterioration based on a few parameters such as the physical features, landscape elements and community engagement to develop the guidelines. The study results confirm that the TWHS can be revived in the urbanizing regions of Tamil Nadu based on context-specific development guidelines and strategies.