The Hindu 03.10.2013
Civic body takes up desilting work in many water bodies
The civic body here has taken up work to desilt various water bodies so that more rainwater could be stored and groundwater level increased.
Municipal Chairman M. Kathiravan told The Hindu here on Wednesday that several ‘ooranies’ (tanks) had been silted up and had become dry because of encroachment of the water bodies and the supply channels. No effort was taken all these years to desilt them, leading to substantial drop in the groundwater level.
Since the people were struggling even to get borewell water, the municipality decided to take up the desilting work under the self-sufficiency scheme —one third of the estimated cost of the work has to be borne by the municipality by way of public contribution.
Mr. Kathiravan persuaded the councillors to contribute to the work and collected Rs. 6 lakh. Doctors donated Rs. 3 lakh and educational institutions gave Rs. one lakh and the public contributed Rs. 5.81 lakh. The total collection — by way of cheques — stood at Rs.15.81 lakh. It was handed over recently to the district administration which, in turn, sanctioned Rs. 33.50 lakh for desilting Pothamarathu oorani opposite the bus stand.
Earlier, Periyakulam kanmoi work was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.75 lakh in July at Poolaoorani village. The tank is able to store water from the rain received in August.
Enthused by the success of the work, the municipality has planned to take up eight more works, including construction of retaining wall with fence along Sirukulam kanmoi from Kamaraj Road to Thiruthangal junction at a cost of Rs. 90 lakh, desilting and improvement of ooranies, supply channels and roadside channels near Sirukulam kanmoi at a cost of Rs. 49 lakh and similar work at Anna Nagar channel at a cost of Rs. 36.75 lakh.
Totally works to the tune of Rs. 2.71 crore would be taken up. It is expected that these water bodies could store water if the encroachments were removed.
