To be implemented in five coastal districts at a cost of Rs. 6 crores Seeing is believing: A delegation of European Union interacting with farmers at Sithudayan in Ramanathapuram district on Tuesday. RAMANATHAPURAM: The European Union (EU) is sponsoring water conservation project in five coastal districts with an objective of increasing water harvesting and reducing desertification. A delegation of EU Ambassadors visited some of the projects implemented in Ramanathapuram district on Tuesday. Daniele Smadja, head of the delegation, led the team in inspecting works implemented by a Madurai-based non-governmental organisation, Dhan Foundation, in collaboration with Oxfam Novib, a Netherlands-based institution. Ms. Smadja said that the EU was taking part in various programmes, including promotion of human rights, improving livelihood of the poor, promoting sustainable environment protection practices. M.P. Vasimalai, Executive Director, Dhan Foundation, said that the plan was to either renovate or establish 75 tanks, 25 village ponds (ooranis) and 1,500 farm ponds in Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts. The Rs. 6-crore project, which began in September last would be implemented in three years, he added. The team included Ambasaddor of Spain, Ion De La Riva; Ambassador of Ireland, Kenneth Thompson; Consul General of Germany in Chennai, Hans-Burkhard Sauerteig; and Consul General of France in Puducherry, Peirre Fournier. They inspected a farm pond at Sithudayan and a renovated oorani at Shanmugakumarapuram and interacted with farmers and other stakeholders of the water bodies. Farmers happy Karuppasamy, head of water users