ABSTRACT
276Water resources are more and more important to sustain the agricultural growth and production to meet the increasing population and its desires in Tamil Nadu (TN). Rivers; streams; surface runoff; ground water; and stored water in dams, reservoirs, and tanks are the main sources of water in TN. The water resources of TN are only about 2% of India with a population share of about 6.0%. TN is a water scarcity state, as the available water is only 650 m3/P/Y compared to 2000 m3/P/Y for India. This causes critical concerns, anxiety, and insecurity in food production in the coming years in the state. The quantum of rain is fluctuating imposing water scarcity in many districts of TN. The ground water potential is rather critical as the water table has gone beyond 700-1000 feet in many districts. The overuse of water in agricultural production is to be discouraged. Competing and ever increasing water demand from industries and community and municipal needs is alarming. These activities add to the huge volume of effluents and sewage water with injurious quality and toxicity to the health and environment. Thus, there is an immediate need to initiate multipronged steps to redefine and revitalize the water storage ways and water use management practices leading to an increase in agricultural production by bringing more area under irrigation and to produce more per unit quantity of water and per unit of land.
Saving of water and reuse of waste water after reclamation are advocated for agricultural, industrial, and community-based requirements. To be able to manage the expectations of the food requirements of 20/30 million tons by 2025/2050 in TN for the escalating population, the farming community, government departments, community, society, and educators need to join together and unite, and reorient the protocols and practices in water use and water management strategies thereby saving large quantities of available water and also developing new water resources and applying to irrigate additional area of about 2.0 Mha to make TN self-sufficient. This is achievable. The chapter on TN water vision defines the road map leading to the achievements of the goals.
In this context, it is strongly advocated the diversion of surplus flood waters from the west-flowing rivers of Kerala and Karnataka, and eastflowing rivers in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to the southern states. This can provide an additional irrigation area of 10 Mha and also solve the water problems of the southern state, especially TN.
