Farm pond scheme aimed to improve groundwater table, which has been taken up in Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts, bears a resemblance to farm ponds allied integrated enterprises for sustainable livelihood implemented during 2015-16 to promote horticulture and fishing as allied activities, farmers say

The scheme envisages digging of a 100 x 100 feet pond to a depth of seven feet on the land owned by farmers at a cost of ₹ 1 lakh provided entirely as government subsidy with funding by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

But farmers say creation of farm ponds is not new to the district. As early as in 2003, the then government had allocated around ₹ 20 crore to dig 6700 ponds in the delta region as part of the rain water harvesting concept. They are sceptic about widespread impact of the scheme.

When the scheme was launched last year, a target of 110 ponds was set to be dug and there were 90 applicants in Tiruvarur district. Officials asserted that the farm pond concept will reflect in better results.

As per official statistics, only 80 farm ponds were created in Thanjavur district under the World Bank assisted Irrigation for Agricultural Modernisation and Water Resource Management scheme. Another 80 ponds would be dug under the current 100 % subsidy scheme funded by the NABARD during this financial year.

In Tiruvarur district, the target for 2019-20 is several time higher at 1,520 ponds. In case the site chosen for creating the pond does not concur with the requirements of length and breadth criteria, a minimum size of 20 x 20 feet pond with higher depth could be considered. For creating a pond under this scheme, 1800 cubic metres of mud has to be scooped out. These works are carried out through cluster tender process by clubbing five or six works in a hamlet or village panchayat, he added.