The Hindu 24.11.2010
Collector inspects water bodies in Salem city
| Disaster Management Wing alerted; Mookeneri Lake to be improved further to attract tourists |
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.
