About The Department
The Agricultural Engineering Department provides engineering-based support to the farming community, including land development, irrigation and water management, farm mechanisation, groundwater-related works and support during natural calamities. The department’s field activities in Cuddalore District are organised through three sub-divisions, as described in the supplied departmental website text.
🏢 Administrative Setup
The supplied website text describes three Agricultural Engineering sub-divisions headquartered at Cuddalore, Chidambaram and Vriddhachalam.
| Revenue Division | Taluks covered (as supplied) | Sub-Division Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Cuddalore | Cuddalore; Panruti; Kurinjipadi | Cuddalore |
| Chidambaram | Chidambaram; Kattumannarkoil; Bhuvanagiri | Chidambaram |
| Vriddhachalam | Vriddhachalam; Tittagudi; Veppur | Vriddhachalam |
🎯 Key Functions
- Develop and stabilise irrigation potential through groundwater-related works, including tube wells, filter-point tube wells and well revitalisation, subject to approved programmes.
- Promote efficient irrigation methods, including drip and sprinkler systems.
- Support groundwater recharge and water management works, including percolation ponds where approved.
- Provide farm-power and mechanisation support for land levelling, shaping and smoothing through machinery hiring arrangements.
- Support mechanised cultivation through custom hiring of bulldozers, tractors and associated implements, where available.
- Coordinate engineering-related relief works during natural calamities such as floods and droughts.
📊 District Context — Irrigation and Groundwater
The Cuddalore District Hand Book 2025–26 provides district and block-level information on irrigation sources. Selected figures below are reproduced from its irrigation tables; they describe recorded infrastructure, not a measure of current service availability.
| Indicator | Recorded figure | Reference in District Hand Book |
|---|---|---|
| Private tube wells | 37,189 | Section 4: Irrigation; source shown as G Return 2025–2026 |
| Dug wells | 10,129 | Section 4: Irrigation; source shown as G Return 2025–2026 |
| Area irrigated by fruits and vegetables | 14,730.380 ha | Section 4.3; Fasli 1434 / 2024–2025 |
| Area irrigated by coconut | 1,496.840 ha | Section 4.3; Fasli 1434 / 2024–2025 |
| Total area irrigated by listed crops | 201,249.940 ha | Section 4.3; source shown as G Return 2024–2025 |
Source note: figures and year labels are retained as printed in the District Hand Book. Confirm the relevant table and data year with the source department before publication.
🌱 Major Schemes and Support Areas
The following items are drawn from the supplied older department website text. They are presented as department activity areas, not as confirmation that every component or subsidy rate is currently open. Current-year availability, funding pattern and beneficiary conditions must be confirmed against the Agricultural Engineering section of the Policy Note 2026–27 and the district office.
| Scheme / Support Area | What it supports | Publication note |
|---|---|---|
| Land Development and Custom Hiring | Hiring of bulldozers, tractors and matching implements for land levelling and mechanised cultivation. | Confirm machinery availability, hiring rules and current charges. |
| Minor Irrigation / Groundwater Development | Hiring of drilling rigs, hand-boring sets, air compressors and geophysical survey equipment for eligible groundwater works. | Confirm equipment-hiring rules and current service availability. |
| Solar Pumping Systems | The supplied website text describes support for solar pumping systems of 5–10 HP for eligible farmers who forgo or withdraw an application for free electricity service. | Do not publish the older 90% subsidy rate as current without policy-note/department confirmation. |
| Micro-Irrigation Support | Drip and sprinkler systems for improving irrigation-water use efficiency. | Check the current Policy Note and implementing department for scheme ownership, rates and eligibility. |
| Reclamation of Problem Soils | The supplied website text refers to a pilot project in Parangipettai block affected by saline sea backwater. | Confirm current status, location, scope and whether it continues in 2026–27. |
| Water Conservation and Recharge Works | Percolation ponds and other approved groundwater-recharge or water-management works. | List only those components currently sanctioned for the district. |
🧑🌾 Services to Farmers
- Information on eligible agricultural engineering schemes and application procedures.
- Technical guidance on land development, irrigation methods and farm mechanisation.
- Information on machinery hiring facilities and applicable rules.
- Guidance on solar pumping and micro-irrigation support, subject to current scheme guidelines.
- Support and coordination for approved water conservation, groundwater recharge and problem-soil reclamation works.