Tiruppatur District Aims for World Record with 1556 Farm Ponds in 30 Days
Tiruppatur district in Tamil Nadu has set an ambitious goal of creating a world record by digging 1556 farm ponds within a span of 30 days. The current record is held by Tiruvannamalai district, also in Tamil Nadu, which dug 1,121 ponds in 2021. The district authorities employed the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers to achieve this remarkable feat, aiming to boost the groundwater table in the region. Each pond has a capacity to hold 2 lakh liters of rainwater, contributing significantly to water conservation.
District Collector M. Bhaskar Pandian expressed that the primary objective of this initiative is to raise the groundwater level in the area. In addition to improving water availability for agriculture during the dry months, this endeavor has created employment opportunities for rural communities, subsequently enhancing their economic prospects.
Moreover, these ponds provide an opportunity for farmers to diversify into fish farming, adding to the revenue of rural agricultural communities. The initiative not only contributes to water conservation but also promotes sustainable livelihoods.
The district’s efforts have garnered attention from international record-keeping organizations such as the US-based Elite World Records, UAE-based Asian Records Academy, Indian Records Academy, and Thamizhan Book of Records. These organizations will soon visit Tiruppatur to inspect the farm ponds and potentially announce the district as the new world record holder for the highest number of farm ponds dug in a month.
