Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has directed that silt deposited in about 40,000 lakes and ponds across the state be made available free of cost to farmers and the public.
The waterbodies are under the control of the Water Resources Department and the Rural Development Department. Ahead of the northeast monsoon, the government said the silt can be taken for agricultural needs, by potters, and for individual household use.
Officials said the initiative is expected to increase the storage capacity of lakes and ponds. A review meeting on the implementation was held at the Secretariat under the Chief Minister’s chairmanship, with Rural Development Minister Anand, Finance Minister Sengottaiyan, Chief Secretary Saikumar and other senior officials attending.
The Chief Minister instructed district collectors to publish the list of eligible lakes and ponds in the district-level gazette and to monitor the scheme as per existing rules and guidelines.
The government said beneficiaries can remove the silt without paying any royalty, under the supervision of concerned officials. Applicants can register and apply through tnesevai.tn.gov.in, and permissions will be issued by tahsildars within 10 days of application.
