Maintenance of tanks totally neglected in Srikakulam dist

SRIKAKULAM: Tanks have been neglected for the last several years in Srikakulam district.

According to information provided by the officials of irrigation department, Vamsadhara river water project and Panchayat Raj department, total identified tanks are more than 885 across the district.

There is growth of weeds and grass in most of the tanks and there is also accumulation of silt. As a result, water could not be stored sufficiently in these tanks even in the current rainy season.

All these tanks are actually prime sources for the villages for drinking water and also for supply of water to crops.

The ayacut under each of the tanks is about 100 acres. Thus water from these tanks is essential to cultivate any crop in kharif season.

But lack of proper planning, negligence of successive governments and non-allotment of funds for maintenance are pushing the tanks into bad state.

Exploiting the situation, some locally influenced people are occupying these tanks by managing village and mandal level officials.

The Central government is spending huge amounts of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) through district water resources management agency (DWMA) in all districts as the DWMA is the nodal authority to implement and monitor works under the MGNREGS.

But due to political involvement, corruption and misuse of funds, the fate of the tanks has not changed in the district.

To make the tanks useful and to cater to both drinking and irrigation requirements, allotment of funds and government nod for maintenance works is required, according to officials of regular irrigation, Vamsadhara river water project and Panchayat Raj department.