It a time when the city is reeling under severe water scarcity and most tanks are bone dry, the Tallakulam Perumal Temple tank brims with water, recharging the ground water level in and around the area. It may be because of the recent rains but the credit goes to the temple authorities and the public works department who ensured storage of water by regularly de-silting and maintaining the inlet channels so that water from neighbouring localities drains into the tank.
“Earlier natural springs ensured sufficient water in the temple tanks, but due to various reasons the springs have disappeared and these tanks are now heavily dependent on rainfall and water drained from surrounding areas,” explains A.P. Sundaranarayanan Bhattar, Archaka Stanikam, Kallazhagar Temple.
Water from the streets in and around Kamaraj Nagar, Thirumukkulam, drains into the tank. Also the fact that the tank is considered sacred has kept it from being polluted.
Geographically, there are no perennial rivers in this region. People are fully dependent on the monsoons for irrigation, drinking water and other uses. Also, the undulating nature of the land drains out the water into the sea. “The Madurai region has hard rocks beneath the surface and hence the water runs off quickly. Even if you receive a 100 cm rainfall only 15 per cent can be retained,” says A. Gurunathan, Chief Executive, Dhan Vayalagam Tank Foundation. This emphasises the importance of tanks and ponds to ensure regular water supply to the people.
According to Gurunathan, there are around 2200 tanks in the region, of which 1200 are in the periphery. These are tanks such as Melur, Kottampatti, Usilampatti and T. Kallupatti. While 35 per cent of these tanks depend on River Vaigai for water, the others rely on rainwater. When the river itself is running dry, most of the tanks are also empty forcing depletion of ground water table.
Ground water in many parts in the city has recorded an abysmal fall. It only reinforces the significance of rain water harvesting. “Traditional wisdom of water harnessing will help regain the past glory,” says J. Kanagavalli, programme officer, Dhan Foundation, who has also co-authored Neerindri , a book on tanks in Madurai.
Owing to scarce rainfall and channels that supplied water from a main source have gone defunct because of encroachments and dumping of wastes. The authorities lay either a concrete floor or tiles on the tank bed in order to retain the little water it gets, but this doesn’t help as the water evaporates in double quick time.
“Concretisation of floors and walls of the tanks should be strictly prohibited, as it prevents percolation of water. Sensitising people on the importance of harvesting rain water is the need of the hour,” says Kanagavalli.
Taking up the cause is Youth Lead India, a social welfare group. It organised mass cleaning programmes involving college and school students.
“We chose the Naganakulam tank to de-silt. We cleared plastic wastes dumped on the tank bed and cleaned the silt in the inlet pipes. We plan to deepen the tank,” says Selvam Ramasamy, one of the organisers of Youth Lead India.
Urban land development has taken precedence over everything else and measures to revive these tanks have taken a backseat.
At the pace in which people are digging deep for water, the day is not far when municipal authorities will impose a sanction on borewells.
