After nearly two decades, several waterbodies in Tiruvallur district will soon be rejuvenated with community support under the kudimaramath scheme.
The Water Resources Department has been allocated ₹4.33 crore to restore water bodies and their supply channels in Tiruvallur district. At present, discussions are on with the water user associations in the villages and farmers to mobilise public participation in the project.
The revival of the kudimaramath scheme has delighted farmers in many villages where the waterbodies that feed irrigation needs have not been desilted for many years.
K.Sampath, a resident of Narthawada village, Tiruttani taluk, said Narthawada lake, which is the only source of irrigation for 100 farmers in the village, has been left neglected for 15 years.
“Some farmers refrain from cultivation to escape crop damage during monsoon as the two sluice gates are damaged. We could not completely repair them,” he said. Residents are glad at the restoration of the lake and say it will help paddy cultivation across nearly 100 hectares. WRD officials said that a total of 46 waterbodies with an ayacut area of 4,000 hectares would be improved.
Besides desilting and de-weeding the lakes, the supply channels, surplus courses and sluice gates would also be improved. Mud deposits in supply channels, which block free flow of water, would also be removed.
Strengthening the bund
Work will be started in a few days and completed within three months. The silt removed from the lakes would be used to strengthen the bund. The rejuvenation of the lakes would benefit a minimum of 200 farmers in several villages as they would have better storage capacity, an official said.
Water users associations would have to contribute about 10% of the total project cost to revive the waterbodies in their villages. The department would continue such maintenance projects periodically as the State government proposes to allocate funds every year.
