The Hindu               23.08.2013 

Rs.97-lakh project to harvest rainwater

Rainwater harvesting is the answer to the drought
situation faced by Vellore district. Silted and encroached rivers,
tanks, supply channels, lakes and ponds constitute the biggest hurdle to
natural rainwater harvesting.

Under these
circumstances, the Sholinghur town panchayat has undertaken the task of
improving the sprawling 25,600-square metre Appankarakulam tank at a
cost of Rs. 97 lakh and developing it as a major rainwater harvesting
structure and recreation centre for the public, children and walkers.
This will be executed using Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF)
of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for the
year 2012-13.

A visit of presspersons to the tank,
arranged by the Vellore Collector on Thursday revealed that the tank has
been desilted, a baby pond formed at the centre of the tank to retain
some water during drought, and earthen bunds formed on the sides of the
tank with silt obtained form desilting. Other works such as deepening of
the tank, construction of granite retaining walls in the inside of the
tank, laying of granite beds on the retaining walls, and cementing the
surface, construction of concrete retaining walls on the south-eastern
portion of the tank, and construction of cement concrete slab culvert
for the outlet channel have been completed.

The town
panchayat is yet to begin the work of constructing concrete pillars and
erecting barbed wire fencing around the tank, which has been wrongly
mentioned as a completed work in the board giving details of the
project, displayed at the entrance to the tank.

Works
to be undertaken under the self-sufficiency scheme for 2013-14 include
grass surfacing of outer bunds and planting of tree saplings at a cost
of Rs. 15 lakh and formation of a children’s park on the eastern side of
the tank (Rs. 12 lakh). Additional works to be taken up include
formation of a walking pathway around the tank by laying ornamental
cement concrete stones on the bunds (Rs. 20 lakh), digging deep
borewell, formation of artificial fountain and construction of security
room (Rs.10 lakh) and erection of ornamental solar lamps around the tank
(Rs. 5 lakh).

The Collector said that the main
objective of the project is to increase groundwater table in the area
around the tank by storing rainwater and protecting water bodies. Other
objectives include the formation of walking pathway, children’s park and
recreation centre. Four tanks in Vellore district, including the
Appankarakulam tank, are to be upgraded at a total cost of Rs. 2.2
crore. The other three tanks to be upgraded are the Thirukkulam tank in
Sholinghur (Rs. 30 lakh), Nallathanneer Kulam in Thimiri town panchayat
(Rs. 43 lakh) and Perumal Kulam in Kalavai town panchayat (Rs. 50 lakh).
The work on Perumal Kulam has been completed.