MGNREG scheme bears fruits as Wallajahpet witnesses boost in green cover

In what may be  a unique means of implementing the Central government’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Wallajahpet panchayat union in the district has not only generated employment for the locals here, but also made efforts to increase the area’s green cover and prevent rainfall deficiency by making the workers to plant tree varieties and dig trenches to act as waterbodies under the scheme.

With sources revealing that the idea to use the employment scheme-that otherwise provides work for villagers for 100 days by indulging them in activities like digging trenches in irrigation tanks-for now improving green cover and water management to have stemmed out of a suggestion by District Collector SA Raman, Block Development Officer (BDO) WV Ravi said, “We have generated 1200 man-days by planting 2800 saplings in 27 acres in three panchayats.”

Under the two-year project here, of which one year has already passed, the MGNREGS scheme was initially implemented to cover seven acres in Marudampakkam village in Wallajahpet panchayat union.

After identification of poromboke lands, similar work would also be undertaken in Katharikuppam and Kalmelkuppam villages nearby, sources said.

The activity under the scheme, needless to say, attracted the attention of farmers when they found water in trenches dug adjacent to planted saplings. According to K Raja, president of the Vellore district unit of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, “It is good as already we see the trenches holding water from the recent rains. The trenches dug at various levels act as system tanks to enable the local water table to be recharged.”

Suggesting the idea to be implemented in all villages where lands now lie fallow due to the drought-like situation, Raja said, “It will ensure natural breeze in the scheme area, in addition to ensuring more green cover, which in turn, will assure us of rain.”

Scheme coordinator Kannan said Pungan, tamarind and flame of the forest tree varieties were raised at a special nursery for the scheme at Marudampakkam.

“In this village alone, we disbursed Rs.1 lakh as wages for 457 workers [under the scheme],” he added.