Tamil Nadu is facing a severe drought this year and most villagers had to stop farming and look for alternative sources of income due to the non availability of water for irrigation. Mailam is an exception where farmers are still involved in agricultural and horticultural operations, thanks to a comprehensive project undertaken for increasing the depth and renovation of agricultural wells in the region with technical and financial assistance from MSSRF (MS Swaminathan Research Foundation) and Wabag, a multinational company involved in waste water treatment.

The famous Murugan temple in Mailam attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over northern Tamil Nadu. Agriculture was seasonal as most wells would go dry soon after the monsoons. In May-June 2015, the MSSRF roped in Wabag to find a lasting solution to Mailam's water woes.

The MSSRF-Wabag tie-up brought Rs 36 lakh funding for desilting, deepening and construction of retaining walls for some 30 wells in the region. The result was amazing. D Srinivasan said that he used to carry out groundnut cultivation in 2 acres of land out of the total 5 acres. After his well was rejuvenated, he could cultivate paddy in one acre and watermelon in the remaining four acres. Despite scarcity of water last year, he could earn 1.7 lakh profit on watermelons and he used paddy for his family's consumption.

It has been a pleasant surprise for the villagers as there have been many more such success stories. 937 farmers in the region started the 'Nallavur Farmer Producer Company' and the area under cultivation for its members increased from 67 acres to 156.5 acres.

Periyathambi, secretary of the company, says due to the water conservation project, he is confident of undertaking any cultivation and is sure he will have enough water to irrigate his entire 3.5 acres.

The company also helps its members by buying their produce and selling it once price improves. Periyathambi said that they have bought three acres of land for the company. They also plan to buy tractors and other equipment that will then be leased out to members on subsidized rates. He said that their next step was to start a brand of their own and market the produce as products in Chennai city.