The Thanajvur district administration has initiated a Water Budget and Management exercise to meet any exigency that may crop up due to climate change.

The ‘kuruvai’ paddy cultivation in the Cauvery delta, falling in Thanjavur district had caused depletion in groundwater level. This has affected drinking water supply, to some extent. Complaints of shortage of supply and non-distribution of drinking water for long periods are being raised in some parts of the district.

Reduced flow

Given the reduced water flow in the Cauvery and the Kollidam, sources said, in order not to get caught off-guard in the months to come, the district administration has taken up the Water Budget and Management exercise by involving the Water Resources, Agriculture and Agriculture Engineering departments.

To begin with, the officials have been directed to prepare Water Budget and Management plans with respect to Thanjavur, Budalur, and Thiruvaiyaru taluks and submit it within the first week of August. The exercise would later be extended to other taluks.

The officials have been asked to plan desilting and reviving of tanks and channels, creating and restoring rainwater harvesting systems in public buildings and places, conversion of discarded deep borewells into rainwater harvesting facilities, and chalk out plans for building check dams.

District Collector R. Revathi told The HIndu that efforts would be made to involve the public in rainwater harvesting as part of the exercise, particularly in coastal and rain-fed areas to prevent increase in the level of dissolved salts in groundwater.

Published - July 27, 2026 05:09 pm IST