LuciaStonor at 08:08, 27 April 2026

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{{Short description|Irrigation project in Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox project
| name = Kudimaramathu Scheme ({{lang|ta|குடிமராமத்து திட்டம்}})
| image = File:TamilNadu_Logo.svg
| type = Restoration of 16,098 Tanks and Lakes
| established = {{start date|2017|03|13|df=y}}
| location = [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| founder = [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]
| chiefminister = [[Edappadi K. Palaniswami]]
| ministry = Water Resources Department, Tamil Nadu
| website = [https://www.wrd.tn.gov.in/kudimaramath.html Official website]
| current_status = Active
}}

'''Kudimaramathu''' is a scheme for [[Ecological restoration|restoring]] all the [[minor irrigation]] [[tank]]s and [[lake]]s in [[Tamil Nadu State]], [[India]]. This is the program taken up by the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] led by Chief Minister [[Edappadi K. Palaniswami]] on 13 March 2017.

In April 2022, the [[Government of India]] launched a similar water body rejuvenation scheme called the Mission Amrit Sarovar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1824518|title=Mission Amrit Sarovar - A high level meeting held to review the progress of the Mission under the chairmanship of Secretary, Rural Development|language=en}}</ref>

==History==
In Tamil, ''Kudi'' means 'farmers or people'. ''Maramathu'' means 'repair'. It literally means the maintenance and management of waterbodies by people. It has existed in India even after the [[British Raj|British rule]]. During the summers, as one of the agriculturalists, they worked to deepen and widen the lakes, streams, ponds, canals and drains which are the sources of agricultural irrigation and drinking water. They also repair damaged [[sluice]]s. This work of citizens is called 'Kudi maramathu' (civic work). After the lakes etc. After Water resources like lakes, ponds were taken over by the [[Tamil Nadu Public Works Department]] in independent India, such works were abandoned. It was briefly revived in Erstwhile United [[Thanjavur district]] in 1975.<ref name="Kudimaramathurevival">{{Cite news |date=14 March 2017 |title=Kudimaramathu is back in State |work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/kudimaramathu-is-back-in-state/article17460578.ece|access-date=14 March 2017}}</ref>

== Kudimaramathu Works ==
During kudimaramathu work, The inner surface of the lake will be [[dredge]]d from twice as far as the height of the bank. That is, if the height of the bank is 10 meters, they will move 20 meters in the inner part of the lake. This is done to prevent the weakening of the bottom of the bank and breakage of the lake bank. This is called [[Sediment basin]]. The soil from the lake taken in this way is first poured into the ditches of the lake during the rainy season and leveled and the banks are strengthened with the remaining soil. The remaining silt for these works will be distributed to the farmers. The soil is also used for [[pottery]], [[construction]] and other needs. The bushes, thorn plants, garbage washed in during the rainy season in the lake will be disposed. Encroachments will be removed. Blockages in [[sluice]]s and [[culverts]] will be removed. These are the basic functions of Kudi Maramathu.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 March 2017 |title=உள்ளாட்சி: குடிமராமத்து திட்டம்... குடிமக்கள் விழித்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டிய நேரம்! |work=|publisher=The Hindu tamil|url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/tamilnadu/196990-.html|access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref>

== Benefits ==
As works are carried out every year, additional rain water is stored in the water bodies and the ground water level rises. Nutrient rich [[Alluvial soil]] excavated for plowing is applied to the agricultural fields as manure.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 February 2020 |title=Kudimaramathu, boon to tanks, lakes|work=|publisher=deccanchronicle|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/170220/kudimaramathu-boon-to-tanks-lakes.html|access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 August 2019 |title='Six lakh farmers benefited from kudimaramathu'|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/six-lakh-farmers-benefited-from-kudimaramathu-says-official/article29251881.ece|access-date=25 August 2019}}</ref>

== Post Independence ==
After the independence of India, the kudimaramathu works are carried out by the Irrigation Department, which functions under the Public Works Department of the State Governments.<ref name="Kudimaramathurevival"/>

=== Tamil Nadu State Government Scheme ===
In 2017, the Tamil Nadu government implemented the Kudimaramathu scheme to rejuvenate water bodies with the participation of agriculturalists reviving the age old
practice of community participation in
maintenance and management of tank irrigation systems. The Government sanctioned this special scheme of Rs.100/- Crore for the year 2016-17 and Rs.300/- Crore for the year 2017-18 to mitigate the impact of [[flood]]s, increase the [[water table]] and reduce [[drought]], and restore all water bodies in Tamil Nadu with the participation of farmers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=குடிமராமத்து திட்டம் (பொதுப் பணித் துறை)|work=tnsdma.tn.gov.in|url=https://tnsdma.tn.gov.in/pages/view/Kudimaramathu|access-date=6 November 2023|archive-date=6 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106070234/https://tnsdma.tn.gov.in/pages/view/Kudimaramathu|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Mission Kakatiya]], Telangana
* [[Tank cascade system|Tank-cascade system]], Sri Lanka

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Lakes of India|*]]
[[Category:Irrigation in India]]
[[Category:Water supply and sanitation in India]]

Kudimaramathu Scheme - Revision history

LuciaStonor at 08:08, 27 April 2026