A Study on Socio-Economy Regarding the Water Consumption in Agriculture
The area around Auroville is covered by an interconnected network of rainwater storage tanks (erys) and ponds (ooranis) that flow into the Kaluvelly Swamp. Many centuries ago, there were thousands of these tanks that not only recharged the groundwater table after the monsoon rains but also provided the sole source for drinking and irrigation water. They guaranteed a decent crop, and sometimes even two crops a year. It changed with the advent of the diesel engine. Farmers could pump unlimited amounts of water at cheap costs from the first aquifer, up to a depth of 40 meters.
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