Tank irrigation system management through restoration schemes for sustainable rural livelihood

Abstract

Tank irrigation contributes significantly to agricultural production in the parts of South and Southeast Asia Especially in South India and SriLanka tank irrigation has a long history and many currently used tanks were constructed in the past centuries Tank plays a dominant component for agro based activities Tank is a low earthen bund constructed across a shallow valley to hold the runoff from its catchment area Irrigation tanks are eco friendly They serve as flood moderators at times of heavy rainfall and as drought mitigating mechanisms during long dry spells They recharge groundwater which is a major source of drinking water for numerous rural and urban communities The storage capacity of the tank has been decreased due to the factors such as siltation of supply channels tank bed and irrigation courses and inadequate maintenance of tank and evaporation loss In order to reduce the factors causing reduction in storage capacity desilting of tank has been chosen as rehabilitation work