Collector inspects water bodies in Salem city

The Hindu      24.11.2010

Collector inspects water bodies in Salem city

— Photos: P. Goutham





Copious inflow: Collector J. Chandrakumar (first right) inspecting the
Mookeneri Lake in Salem on Tuesday. (Right) The ATC Nagar culvert was
submerged following heavy rain.

SALEM: Collector J. Chandrakumar and a team of officials from
Revenue, PWD and Salem Corporation on Tuesday inspected various tanks
and lakes in the city, which had received copious inflow following heavy
rain for the past one week.

He also instructed the officials to better prepare for any
eventuality in view of continuous rain and asked the Disaster Management
Wing to be on alert.

He said that the Mookeneri Lake, which is being developed by a forum
of people’s initiative, would be improved further to attract tourists.
Boating also would be introduced soon.

The lake’s banks would be strengthened and the overflowing water
would be diverted to Vedapatti Lake. Kannakurichi Lake also would be
developed.

He asked the people not to dump garbage, especially non-biodegradable
plastic waste into the tanks and lakes and other water bodies.

Mr. Chandrakumar also visited Ammapet Kumaragiri Lake and Pudueri Lake too.

Salem, the Collector said, had recorded good rainfall this year when
compared to a few years in the past. The district had so far recorded
1,044 mm of rains when compared to the last year’s 710.5 mm. Many of
lakes and tanks also had received copious inflows.

A report pointed out that 22 tanks out of the total 107 tanks
maintained by the PWD in the district had filled up to the brim while 18
of them had filled up 50 per cent and 46 with 25 per cent.

No water shortage

“Since the district has recorded healthy rainfall and Mettur Dam also
has adequate storage, water shortage will not be there both for
drinking water purposes and irrigation needs,” he said. Salem
Corporation Commissioner Dr. K.S. Palanisamy and other officials
accompanied the Collector.

Meanwhile rains had brought good inflows into district’s reservoirs.
The water level of Anaimaduvu reservoir stood at 41.50 feet against its
full reservoir level of 67.25 feet while Kariakoil Dam reached 50.50
feet against its full level of 52.50 feet. A total of 220 cusecs was
being let in to River Vashishta. The water level of Mettur Dam on
Tuesday morning stood at 112.870 feet against full reservoir level of
120 feet with an inflow of 14,885 cusecs.

Rainfall recorded

The district had received 663.1 mm of rains from southwest monsoon up
to September and 338.4 mm from northeast monsoon till today. The
average rainfall is 1062.7 mm of rains. Attur registered a rain fall of
31.20 mm for the past 24 hours ending at 8 am on Tuesday followed by
Mettur 30.60 mm, Salem 21.90 mm, Omalur 19 mm, Yercaud 17.80 mm and
Vazhapadi 11mm. Heavy overnight rain had also left the ATC Nagar
residents in Ward 5 marooned. The culvert that led to their colony got
submerged leaving school going children and office goers in distress.
Students and teachers of Udayapatti Union School staged road blockade
demanding the removal of encroachments in water carrying channels since
the rain waters had entered the school.