From Water Bankruptcy to Climate-Resilient Sustainability: A Decentralized Water Management Roadmap for Tamil Nadu Water Self Sufficiency

Abstract

Tamil Nadu is facing an ever-growing water crisis because of unpredictable monsoons, urbanization, and poor water management. By 2050, demand is expected to outstrip supply. A lot of rain falls, but a lot of it is wasted because of bad storage, encroachments, and water bodies that aren't used enough. The state has a lot of wells, lakes, and tanks, but many of them don't work or aren't useful. The proposed water self-sufficiency project aims to fill all traditional tanks and lakes with flood water surplus using automation and modern technologies, in addition to maximizing rainwater harvesting, restoring and connecting water bodies, and increasing storage capacity through modern technologies like GIS and remote sensing. This means that all Ayacut laws need to be changed. It's very important to retrofit existing TWAD water supply systems so that they can send extra floodwater into tanks and ponds to recharge groundwater. A big part of the plan is to turn non-system tanks into system tanks and make sure that water is distributed in a decentralized way. The initiative also puts a lot of stress on using a lot of drip irrigation in areas that get rain to boost agricultural productivity while saving water. Another goal of treating wastewater and using it again in industry is to cut down on the need for fresh water. Even though interstate water projects are being thought about, the main goal is still to make the best use of internal resources.