TNIAM Project - Introduction

The World Bank Supported Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation (TN IAM) project is a follow-up of Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water-Bodies Restoration and Management (IAMWARM). The IAMWARM project has made significant development impacts in the state by modernising irrigation infrastructure, improving water use efficiency, enhancing yields and productivity of agriculture in a climate resilient production systems, diversification towards high value crops, strengthening the institutional reforms through Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) and Water Users Association (WUA).
The IAM Project will bring the policy and institutional development achieved under IAMWARM project to a new level and will serve as the key vehicle for implementing the Tamil Nadu Government’s agenda in further enhancing water and agriculture productivity in a sub-basin framework.

Tamil Nadu is one of the water starved states in India endowed with only 3 percent of the water resources in India. The state located in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats is receiving limited average annual rainfall of about 925 mm, lower than the national average 1200 mm. The per capita availability of water in the state is about 750 cubic meters per annum compared to the national average of 2100 cubic meters.

• There are 17 major river basins, 89 reservoirs, about 41,948 tanks and about 3 million wells.
• The total surface water potential of the state is 24,864 Million Cubic Metre (MCM) which has already been heavily taped primarily for irrigation.
• 24 lakh hectares are irrigated by surface water which is about 90 percent utilized.
• The utilizable ground water recharge is 22,423 MCM and the current level of utilization is about 60 percent.
• There has been a general decline in the ground water level owing to complete desaturation of shallow aquifers.
• The total irrigated area is 3 million hectares which is 54 percent of the total cropped area.
• Irrigation canals supply water to 30 percent of irrigated area, tanks provide 21 percent and the wells irrigate 49 percent.

The five major areas of focus present themselves

• Improved irrigation infrastructure
• Crop diversification through high value crops
• Climate Resilient technologies for improved productivity
• Improved market access system of value addition
• Institutionalising PIM & Improving water management

Project Beneficiaries

The main project beneficiaries of the project are farmers, water users associations, farmer producer organisations and agribusiness entrepreneurs. The project will actively promote gender inclusion and women participation in all key project intervention. We are intend to reachout to 5 Lakh farmers in which 2.25 Lakhs are women.

Project Objectives

To enhance productivity and climate resilience of irrigated agriculture, improve water management and increase market opportunities for farmers and agro-entrepreneurs in selected sub-basin areas of Tamil Nadu.

Project Scope and Area

The project will cover rehabilitation of about 4778 tanks in 66 sub basins. The total command area to be covered will be 5, 43,000 hectares.