The Teppakulam of the Rockfort wears a desolate look without water ahead of the summer. Even though the Tiruchi Corporation had completed the work on removing silt from the city’s famous landmark, the tank is yet to be refilled with water.
The civic body, which maintains the tank, had in January taken up the work on removing silt accumulated in the sprawling tank after several years.
In recent years, the Teppakulam had borne the brunt of urban pollution with indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes into it.
During the nearly month long exercise, the corporation had cleared about 100 truck loads of garbage, including over 20 loads of plastic waste, according to corporation sources.
Although the corporation had erected fences over and above the compound wall of the tank, dumping of garbage could not be prevented as innumerable roadside traders and eateries had set shop around the tank.
The corporation had deployed earthmovers to remove the silt. Members of Thaneer and student volunteers were involved in the operation.
Although the work has been completed, the tank is yet to be refilled. Sources indicated that an inlet channel from the Cauvery had fallen into disuse long back and turned into a drain. Consequently, the tank has to be filled with water from the river through drinking water lines. The tank could be filled up in about a week by pumping water for three to four hours during the night. Sources indicated that the tank would be filled up before the proposed kumbabishekam of the Sri Thayumanaswamy Temple.
However, a section of the residents want the civic body to fill up the tank immediately. “We welcome the decision to clear the silt from the tank. Now that the work is over, the tank should be filled with Cauvery water immediately. The corporation should take steps to beautify the tank and remove all encroachments and shops near the teppakulam, which is a heritage site,” said N.Ramakrishnan, a civic activist and founder, MGR Narpani Mandram.
Locals point out that the place is frequented by tourists every day and the dry teppakulam does not present a pleasant sight. Some of them plead for resumption of pleasure boating, a service which had been in operation at the tank, years back.
