In Coimbatore, small-scale government works have turned dry fields green again, restoring both water and hope.

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: Nandhakumar (49), a farmer from Jallipatti Panchayat in Coimbatore district’s Anaimalai Union, cultivates coconuts on 4.2 acres in the foothills of the Western Ghats. Every February to May, severe droughts hit the region. During the 2016-2017 drought, his well ran dry, forcing him to dig a 1,200-foot borewell.

“Near my farm, there is a small stream that flows into the Palar River and eventually reaches the Arabian Sea in Kerala,” he told 101Reporters. “It fills up during the monsoon but dries out in summer.”

In 2020, that changed when the panchayat, with funds from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), built a 4.5-foot concrete check dam across the stream. Check dams are small barriers built across drainage lines or gullies, usually made of stone or concrete. They slow down stormwater runoff, reduce soil erosion, and allow water to percolate into the ground, recharging wells and borewells nearby.

“Since then, water collects up to 700 metres upstream during the rainy season, recharging my well and benefitting 46 small farmers like me. Even today, water stands six feet deep in what was once a dry streambed,” he said.  

Azolla being cultivated in the check dam stream. (Photo - Prasanth Shanmugasundaram, 101Reporters)

With reliable water, he has even begun cultivating azolla (a kind of fern) as livestock feed. “Now I can farm without worrying about irrigation,” Nandhakumar added. 

Just a few years ago, the picture was different. In the parched summer of 2016, farmer Rajagopal (73) watched in despair as the once-thriving coconut trees in his grove wilted under the scorching sun. The borewell he had sunk 900 feet into the earth had gone dry. With no irrigation options left, he was forced to cut them down.

Rajagopal says with so much water available, he plans to grow crops like cocoa and pepper as intercrops. (Photo - Prasanth Shanmugasundaram, 101Reporters)

The turnaround for Rajagopal, and thousands like him across Tamil Nadu, has come through such government-funded check dams, a low-cost intervention that is steadily reshaping water security and bringing resilience to farming communities.

Building resilience

Over the past two decades, recurrent droughts have depleted groundwater and slashed productivity across Tamil Nadu. The 2016-2017 drought was especially devastating: rainfall fell short in all four seasons, with the state recording only 539.4 mm, 41% below normal. Deficits stood at 30% in the southwest monsoon and a staggering 62% in the northeast monsoon, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The fallout was severe. Overall farm output dropped by 56-62%, while horticultural yields fell by 32-35%. As irrigation sources dried up, farmers watched their crops perish, cut down long-standing coconut, areca nut, nutmeg, and banana trees, and in many cases abandoned their land, leaving once-productive fields barren.

Before water accumulated in the check dam built under the Amrit Sarovar scheme (Photo - Prasanth Shanmugasundaram, 101Reporters)

Agriculture here is not just a livelihood but a lifeline. Tamil Nadu’s agricultural landscape spans 12.1 million hectares, ranking among India’s top five in cultivated area. It leads in oilseeds, groundnut, and sugarcane productivity, stands second in maize, and third in paddy. Annual yields are substantial: 11.5 million metric tonnes of paddy, millets, and pulses, 14.1 million metric tonnes of sugarcane, and 19.3 million metric tonnes of horticultural produce. The state plays a vital role in India’s food economy, making its vulnerability to climate shocks especially worrying.

To combat these recurring droughts, the government has invested heavily in water conservation measures. Desilting ponds and water bodies, digging farm wells, and building check dams have been central to these efforts. Between 2018 and 2024, the state built 58,200 check dams—20,000 in 2018-2019, 10,000 in 2019-2020 at Rs 312 crore, and another 10,000 in 2021-2022 at Rs 419 crore. Funding was shared 75:25 between the Centre and the state, with contributions from panchayats. In parallel, the Amrit Sarovar initiative has restored 3,396 larger water bodies since 2022, focusing on community participation and reviving traditional water sources.

After water accumulated in the check dam built under the Amrit Sarovar scheme (Photo - Prasanth Shanmugasundaram, 101Reporters)

The Mission Amrit Sarovar is an Indian government initiative launched in April 2022 to construct or rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district, focusing on water conservation, community participation, and the revival of traditional water sources.

Together, these measures have trapped millions of litres of rainfall, boosted agricultural output, and renewed farmer confidence. In villages where reservoirs and streams were restored, the land now brims with life.

Check dams are small barriers built across drainage lines or gullies, usually made of stone or concrete (Photo - Prasanth Shanmugasundaram, 101Reporters)

On ground impact

Farmers said that the proper management of resources has helped in maintaining sustainable levels of groundwater in their fields. 

Sundaram (55), a farmer from Kampalapatti Panchayat told 101Reporters that now it takes him just around two hours to irrigate his two-acre farm. 

Farmer Sundaram says thanks to the check dam, water now fills the entire well (Photo - Prasanth Shanmugasundaram, 101Reporters)

“In 2013, I spent Rs 2.5 lakh to dig a 900-foot borewell. But during the 2016 drought, water was extremely low. I had to run the motor for 6-8 hours just to irrigate. That changed in 2018, when a check dam was built nearby. Groundwater levels rose, and under MGNREGA, I also got a free well worth Rs 6 lakh dug on my land. Now I can irrigate in just two hours,” he said. 

Similar stories are heard across Jallipatti Panchayat, where 31 check dams and 27 free wells have been built since 2018. One dam alone, 20 feet wide and five feet high, spread water over 800 metres and stored 1.63 million litres, a government official said. Together, the panchayat’s dams hold around 50 million litres annually, shielding farmers from both drought and extreme rainfall.

Paramasivam (56) another farmer from Jallipatti, said he relied on a relative’s well for years because he could not afford one. In 2020, under the government scheme a well was dug on my farmland. “Now I can irrigate my 2.62 acres year-round. Earlier, I could grow coconuts on just one acre. With steady water, I have expanded to two acres and added vegetables.”

Farmer Paramasivam shares his situation with the reporter (Photo - Prasanth Shanmugasundaram, 101Reporters)

Behind the check dams

Behind these projects is steady implementation at the panchayat level. Sivaprakash, secretary of Angalakurichi Panchayat, explained: “Since 2018, we have taken up desilting water bodies, constructing check dams, getting wells dug for free for small farmers, and raising embankments.”

He said that the benefits go beyond farming. “These projects not only help farmers but also provide year-round employment to rural women. In our panchayat of 10,200 people, 70% of women living in poverty have benefitted. The scheme applies only to small farmers with less than five acres, not to wealthy landowners.” 

Karthik Gokul, Assistant Engineer at the Aliyar Dam in the district said, “Check dams are highly effective in recharging groundwater. One dam holding water over 800 metres can raise groundwater levels within a 100-250 metre radius. In such areas, even a 40-foot bore is enough to find water. By capturing stream water that would otherwise flow away, these structures have become a lifeline for farmers.”

Anaimalai Union Block Development Officer Kuzhandaisamy added that all 19 panchayats in the union now have check dams. “They are most effective in foothill villages with heavy water flow, storing water year-round. In drier areas, they support farming through the monsoon. In low-lying areas, we build taller, larger check dams,” he said. 

Cover Photo - Farmer Nandhakumar says that now he can farm without worrying about irrigation (Photo Prasanth Shanmugasundaram, 101Reporters)