Conservation of Irrigation tanks through Participation of their Beneficiaries for Sustainable Environment: A study in Select Districts of Tamilnadu

The main uses of irrigation tanks are mainly for irrigation, domestic purposes, fisheries, groundwater recharge (percolation tanks and ponds), shelter for birds and birds sanctuary, place for social forestry in general for forestation, flood regulators and drought mitigators. The conservation of Irrigation tanks one of the dimensions of environmental sustainability which aims at protection and promotion of the smallest water bodies viz., irrigation tanks situated in the rural area of semi-arid tropical parts of India. They were built by our past generations, for the purpose of catching, storing and distributing the water resources. Irrigation tanks are the traditional water storage system which plays a very vital role in the process of social and economic development of rural people. They provide multiple benefits to rural poor in and around of the rural tanks, by extend of irrigation to cropland, water for animals breading, drinking water purpose through recharging ground water level and creation of natural vegetation. They have become reduction and retrenchment due to severe encroachment, heavy siltation, weeding improper management and unauthorized cultivation. Due to which, the functions of bio-diversity through rural tanks have been reduced and deteriorated, which resulted in less production from natural system that caused to human society to divert in to modern as well as artificial pattern of livelihood. It is against to the natural morality, which create so many constraints in the survival of all living beings. In order to maintain and achieve the sustainable environment to conserve the environmental resources and their properties on the earth, the ecosystem of rural tanks and their various environmental dimensions should be identified and protected properly which will enable the eco-environment and all other systems for their sustainable livelihood. It is found from careful consideration of the earlier studies listed as above that the irrigation tanks should be restored through active participation of the residents as the beneficiaries, residing in and around the rural tanks and their forestry based resources. The beneficiaries are the dependants of the whole eco-environmental system of tanks and forestry for their livelihood.