The Nagapattinam district administration has drawn up a mega project envisaging the implementation of various development works estimated at Rs. 100 crore to mark the 150th anniversary of the municipality in 2016. The civic body was founded in 1866.
Collector T. Munusamy told The Hindu that as part of the beautification of Nagapattinam, the Tamaraikulam tank would be renovated at a cost of Rs. 1.41 crore. It would be developed into a picnic spot and attract both foreign and domestic tourists. Work is in full swing and will be completed by the end of November.
Similarly, the district administration has planned to improve Akkarai Kulam in the town at a cost of Rs. 1.09 crore. The project envisages augmenting the storage capacity of the tank and facilitates the rainwater harvesting and rehabilitating the inlet and the outlet of the channel.
The bund is partly damaged for a length 650 m and it has not been revamped for 10 years. Inlet and outlet were damaged and need to be repaired, said Municipal Commissioner R. Murugesan.
The components of the project include improvement of the existing bund, construction of retaining wall along the road side, providing road by paver precast blocks around the tank, providing plantation and sitting benches at children play areas and walking area for public, dressing and rest rooms, improvement of strengthening on inlet and outlet sluice gates, surplus weir, improving the bathing ghats, and providing lighting facilities.
Moreover, the municipality has proposed to dredge the pond and proposed to strengthen the bunds. It will provide streetlights around the tank using LED and one toilet to prevent open defecation, said municipal engineer N.Chandra Sekaran.
The star attraction in the mega project would be the promotion of beach tourism. In the right side of the new beach, there was a vacant land and it would be dredged to draw the seawater. In this place, it had been decided to operate boats with all safety measures and to introduce water scooter and surf riding. The aim was converting Nagapattinam, the tailend region, as one of the most attractive tourist spots in the State. The people could visit the places of worship as well as tourist spots, said the Collector.
