Case1-July-2017
“Evolution of knowledge is towards simplicity not complexity” – L. Ron Hubbard
Gigantic temples and numerous water harvesting structures spread all over Tamil Nadu stand testimony to the immense scientific wisdom of our forefathers. They are the surviving marvels and time tested monuments of our land. After all, technology is meant for bettering our lives.
Madurai, popularly known as the city of temples is rich in spiritual and historical heritage. It is the third largest city in Tamil Nadu and one of the living heritages of India. The agrarian civilisation was established on the banks of river Vaigai, which was a non-perennial river even in the age of ‘Sangam’. The agrarian community for its sustained survival; based on its observation and wisdom, developed a technology to conserve water during monsoon showers. It is called as ‘the tank technology’. Madurai City holds about 96 irrigation tanks. The tanks were well-connected as cascades and fed by 13 major channels. Some of the tanks are few hundred years old and most of the tanks have crossed half a millennium of their existence.
Madurai is an administrative and agricultural centre having a large floating population. Its high market base catalysed its urbanisation through its services. Urbanisation attracted rural communities with a wide scope for employment. Better employment elevated the standard of living which further attracted the rural communities towards Madurai. Madurai City was also known as ‘Kadambavanam’ (Forest with Kadambam Trees), and called with pride as ‘Thoonga Nagaram’ (City that never sleeps).
Immigrants landed at Madurai responding to both push and pull factors. Slums on the banks of rivers Vaigai and Gridhumal and irrigation channels were mostly populated with the ‘rural push’ inhabitants. In the process of centralisation, the administrative system, settlements along with other public and private services were established. Lands that were once cultivated transformed into concrete masses.
‘Annupanadi Small Tank’ is one of the 15 irrigation tanks that is completely encroached by the rapidly growing urban system. The Tamil Nadu Housing Board has encroached both ‘Annupanadi Big Tank’ and ‘Avaniyapuram Tank’ to the maximum extent. A sign board in ‘Avaniyapuram Tank’ says: “This is a property of The Tamil Nadu Housing Board. Encroachers will be penalised.’’ It shows how the tank once a common property had become part of the public system. Similarly, 34 irrigation tanks have been partially encroached by different urban systems, both public and private.
Encroachments along the river banks have reduced the width of the rivers and channels. This aggravated the risk of the banks becoming a flood-prone zone both in terms of spatial extent and intensity of disaster. In 2010, to prevent encroachment of channels and to avoid flood risks, irrigation channels were RCC (reinforced cement concrete) lined under JnNURM project.
Centralised urban system demands a centralised water supply and sanitation system. The Vaigai reservoir and integrated drinking water project play a vital role in the corporation’s water supply for Madurai city. Water from the Vaigai reservoir and river bed is pumped to ensure the corporation’s water supply. Zero flow in the river due to dam construction and higher demand for sand led to heavy, unregulated and illegal ‘sand mining’. The river Viagai in its corporation limits has lost its sand bed and reeds completely.
Feeder channels having off-take points in river Vaigai were supplying river water for the chain of irrigation tanks (cascade). South flowing channels such as Nilayur, Avaniyapuram and Sottathatti channels are a few channels that feed tanks in the Kondagai and the Usilangulam cascades. Heavy sand mining in the river bed has reduced the bed level of the river, thereby reducing the river water supply to irrigation tanks. This adversely affected tank-fed agriculture in both the cascades.
Small and marginal farmers either sold their land or left it fallow while large farmers dug wells and bore wells. Due to reduced dependency on ancient irrigation system, the farmers started ignoring the feeder channels and irrigation tanks. Feeder channels and irrigation tanks were heavily silted, misshapen and invaded by Prosopis juliflora and other weeds. ‘Vannankulam’ tank is one such irrigation tanks completely invaded by Prosopis.
In urban fabrics, though daily per capita demand was135 litres of water, as per Indian standards; in summer, Madurai City Corporation was able to supply only 60- 70% of the demand. The rest of the demand was fulfilled by ground water alone. Since ground water pumping is not regulated, the abstraction (extraction of ground water) depends on the life style of the individual family.
The scenario in peri-urban area is also similar. Increase in bore wells and invasive spread of Prosopis has aggravated the fall of ground water level. It is not only an issue of quantity but also an issue that affects quality. The fall of water table might increase mineral concentration based on the geological condition, resulting in serious health issues among the consuming community. It is a concern that there is no perfect and economical filter available in the market for removing hazardous metals in the ground water and disposal of filter residue.
The dry irrigation tanks have become sand mining quarries for road contractors. Road contractors have received permission from the City Corporation to desilt specific tanks within the city limits. However, greedy contractors have excessively mined the irrigation tanks. ‘Chinna Odaippu Tank’ is one of the five tanks that were excessively mined more than 2 metres below the silt level of the sluice in the name of ‘desiltation’. Major portion of the runoff water will be stored in its dead storage while the live storage of the tank will be minimal or nil. The tank is no longer fit for irrigation.
The irony is that this has happened with the approval of the local community. “Since the tank was not fed with river water by the channel, our agriculture land has been left fallow for the past five years. We found sand mining as a source of income. We have received money from the contractor for our village. That’s why we allowed heavy sand mining”, said one of the farmers.
However, this was not the case of farmers in ‘Kuthiraikuthi’ village. Farmers of ‘Kuthiraikuthi’ tank stood against the contractors. “We depend on the tank for our domestic and irrigation needs. Our children play near this tank. During festival we take water in this tank and prepare ‘pongal’ (Traditional food) as an offering to ‘Amman’ (a folk goddess). This tank is the treasure of our ancestors which is guarded by ‘Karuppu Sami’ (Folk God). We will never allow anyone to mine sand from this tank” said one of the women involved in the protest. The villagers petitioned to the district collector, MLA and also the chief minister to establish their rights. Finally, the administration came forward to renovate the tank as expected by the villagers.
RCC lining of channels under JnURM has also impacted the urban farmers adversely. The lining has not only reduced recharge to shallow aquifers, but has also cut off the water supply to some of the irrigation tanks. The channels were deepened by a metre from their existing bed levels. This increased the difference in elevation between the bed level of the channels and that of the feeder channel. ‘Kaathiyanoor tank’ is one such tank which has lost its supply from the Sottathatti channel. Now, the feeder channel receives irrigation water only during high flow period. This shows how absence of people participation could defeat the purpose of the scheme.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in a report to National Green Tribunal has said that 63% of the sewage in urban centres is flowing untreated into the water bodies. Madurai on average generates 97.93 million litres sewage per day (MLD), out of which only 26 MLD is treated and disposed. The combined capacity of the two sewage treatment plants (STPs) is 172 MLD, but it is underutilised. The reasons behind underutilisation of the STPs are the poorly connected underground drainage (UGD) system, direct disposal of sewage and leakage of drainage pipes. ‘Sinthamani Tank’ is one of the 13 tanks that are fed by untreated sewage water.
Sewage entering the tank system infests the whole chain of tanks in the downstream. Since there is no fresh water supply to the tanks, people use this untreated sewage water for agriculture. Research findings by Madurai Kamaraj University showed presence of heavy metals that exceeds the desirable limit in agricultural produce from this area.
Farmers of ‘Sinthaamani and Thuliyappatti tanks face a unique issue. Purple headed swamp hen, one of the birds that come under wild life conservation is scissoring the entire transplanted paddy nurseries in the sewage irrigated command area. The farmers use ‘saree fence’ and watchmen creating noises by striking plastic bottles as protective measures. The hen is found particularly in this area. Due to this reason, farmers are losing 20% to 30% of their profit.
Sewage contamination has created stress over access to drinking water and the market is making a profit out of it. There are more than 50 ‘packaged drinking water’ companies at Kochadai along the river bank of Vaigai. There is no regulation over quantity of abstraction and quality of water supplied. On average, a family is spending minimum of Rs. 300 per month on drinking water alone. In drought years, farmers in Madurai have been purchasing water for irrigating ‘Malli farm’ and for the survival of livestock. The community which does not have purchasing power is accessing contaminated water compromising hygiene.
Though we deliberate much on urban water bodies in Madurai City, it resembles the scenario in other global cities where equilibrium of the ecosystem has almost lost its ground. The urban community thinks that tanks have lost their purpose in a centralised system. A study carried out by DHAN Foundation in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) reveals that 80-90% recharge of shallow aquifers could be met through renovated irrigation tanks. This proves that the statement ‘tanks have lost their purpose’ is a mirage. Renovation of existing tanks and converting them into percolation tanks would improve both quality and quantity of the groundwater.
It is the need of the hour to understand the relevance of water bodies in present and future – a community perspective. It is time to redesign, restructure, restore and rejuvenate the existing water bodies in the city involving a multiple stakeholder approach. Academicians should come forward to conduct studies to help identifying tanks that can be converted into percolation tanks, demarcate encroachments in tanks, and redesign irrigation tanks for their existing command area.
It is important to restore feeder channels and sand mined irrigation tanks based on their current relevance. Roof water harvesting and utilising the same for drinking at individual households, feeding temple tanks using effective storm water harvesting and conveyance system are also some of the strategies that can be studied and implemented.
Urban sanitation demands 100% UGD coverage and linking individual households to the system.This will allow maximum utilisation of existing STPs. The water treated by STPs should be monitored regularly as per irrigation standards. Regular check on heavy metal accumulation in food produces is mandatory. It is also important to identify spots where decentralised systems such as DEWATS, reed bed system, bios wales, etc. can be implemented.
Researchers accept that 100% recycling is not possible and there is always a residue as a result of recycling which is highly toxic and not disposable. Recycling process also demands notable energy, human resources and conviction.
Management does not consist of barring a community from access to the resource in order to meet the demands of another and imposing the waste generated on another community. It is about effective distribution of resources based on science and virtue. The essence of management strategy is choosing what to do and what not to do. It is not only the duty of public system, but also the responsibility of a democratic citizen.
The water scenario at Madurai is a miniature of the global scenario of resource management. European and American countries that are extracting natural resources from Gulf countries are imposing their e-waste in African countries such as Zambia and Somalia. This is the global scenario where the equilibrium of ecosystem has almost lost its ground, where capitalism and globalisation are slowly losing ground.
The irony is that the solution for this global as well as local issue was also developed before half a century in the same Madurai City. J.C.Kumarappa, E.F.Schumacher and Ivan Illich, economists who stayed in Madurai, provided structure to the Gandhian economics. Their economics revolve around a common point of ‘responsible and self-regulated consumerism’ which is just opposite to the human history of consumption, which is a tribal way of consuming resources. Human history shows that the human being always has the tendency to own as much as resources he can. However, it is time for a U-turn; a U-turn from centralisation to decentralisation; a U-turn from over consumption to responsible consumption.