Mainstreaming climate resilience through MGNREGS: Learning from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai
In September 2021, Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district set a record for creating 1,121 farm ponds in 30 days by leveraging the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
The initiative’s aim was to ensure adequate water for agricultural and domestic purposes throughout the year while creating assets that would make the local communities more resilient to imminent climate disasters.
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This initiative in Tiruvannamalai assumes enormous significance in light of the recently launched state climate mission in Tamil Nadu. Most of the water-focused activities undertaken here can also qualify as resilience-building measures against climate change.
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Implementing MGNREGS in Tiruvannamalai at the envisioned scale could yield several benefits: From direct gains like enhanced agricultural production and irrigation facilities, improved socio-economic conditions, economic security and rural infrastructure to indirect ones like environmental sustainability, climate change adaptation and long-term community empowerment.
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