Collector M. Karunakaran has appealed to the non-governmental organisations and the students to rejuvenate all irrigation tanks in the district and the channels associated with these waterbodies.
Inaugurating the restoration of Nainarkulam tank here on Wednesday as part of ‘World Water Day’ celebrations organised by Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre (ACCC), Manimutharu, Dr. Karunakaran said the State Government had allocated ₹6 crore for implementing ‘kudimaramaththu’ works in which 101 irrigation tanks would be desilted and bunds strengthened.
Another ₹8.92 crore had been earmarked for repairing the shutters and uprooting ‘seemai karuvelam’ grown inside the waterbodies.
The Tamirabharani, the backbone of agricultural operations in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, should be protected from being polluted and encroached upon by individuals.
Since the perennial river was feeding a few thousand irrigation tanks to enliven farming operations, all waterbodies associated with the river should also be protected.
As most of the irrigation tanks and the channels were being used by the public for dumping waste, the waterbodies were losing the sheen and hence, the NGOs and the students should join hands to clean the bone-dry waterbodies.
The Collector said that the heads of local bodies would be instructed to take stringent legal action against those who were polluting the waterbodies and burning plastic waste inside the dry irrigation tanks.
Over 200 NSS volunteers from Sadakkathullah Appa College and AKY Polytechnic, members of Friends of Police and the public joined the exercise.
Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, R. Sivakumar, renowned orthopaedic surgeon A. Francis Roy and a few farmers participated in restoring Nainarkulam tank. The Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre has planned to extend this programme to all major irrigation tanks in the district based on the support it gets from the voluntary agencies and the students.
