The volume presents a glimpse into well and tank systems in Tamil Nadu. Based on study of cases from Puducherry and Villupuram districts, a region where every village has its tank and wells or tubewells, the authors point to concerns relating to their availability taking into account physical and climatic factors, technical features and social dimensions. Addressing economic, environmental and policy issues, researchers and development practitioners show that difficulty in access to groundwater and the tank and water irrigation crisis in general are heightened by absence of integrated management of water resource. Supported by maps, surveys and statistical data, they explain why there is no relationship between tank or well density and irrigation density. Broadly, they discuss issues including spatial and social inequalities of water access and use, interdependency of ground water and surface water, perception of water users and political and factional dynamics in the running of water institutions.
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