Temple tanks spell history. They help maintain groundwater tables.
They make for a pleasant view. In short, they are valuable.
However, their value is often lost on us, as the condition of some these temples in the region prove.
Name: Nandheeswarar Temple Tank
Location: Near St. Thomas Mount Railway Station, Adambakkam.
Area: 1 to 2 acres
Current Status: Construction materials dumped on the banks of the tank and the nearby shops use it as a godown to keep their stock at times.
Nandheeswarar Temple near St.Thomas Mount Railway Station has a huge tank, called Thirukulam, with a protective cement wall, situated in the south of the temple. That it has fallen on bad days is amply clear from the fact that a well has been dug in the centre of the tank. It is however not in use now and has become totally dry, making it as a godown for the shopkeepers in the vicinity.
Venkatesan, a regular visitor to the temple, says the tank was in good condition earlier, but now nearby shops throw wood blocks, casuarina logs and other waste materials into the tank. Though the front portion of the tank is closed, the back portion is kept open, making it easy for these shopkeepers to dump their materials.”
***
Arthanareeswarar temple in Nanganallur can be reached with a 15-minute drive from GST Road. It has existed from time immemorial. It however, started hogging the local limelight only a century ago.
Decades ago, the temple tank on the southern side was filled with mounds of garbage, water hyacinth and sewage from the shops nearby.
When the kumbhabhishekham was performed in 1971, the Arthanareeswarar Bhakta Samajam cleaned up the tank. However, after several years, water hyacinth and garbage returned with a vengeance. Due to poor maintenance and irresponsible activities of a few residents/motorists, it has become a dumping ground now.
Sadasivam, one of the residents, says a few motorists used to throw their wastage bags into the tank, from their bikes. Also, the nearby shops have had the external units of their air-conditioners fitted on one of the tank walls. What is worse, a TASMAC outlet is located adjacent to the temple, a factor deterring women from staying at the temple till 7 p.m.
Name: Paalkeni Vinayakar Koil Temple Tank
Location: Zameen Pallavaram
Area: Originally 20 acres, now shrunk in size due to encroachments on its banks
Current Status: People wash clothes and bathe their cattle. Sewage is let into it. Garbage is dumped.
In Pallavaram, Paalkani Vinayakar Koil temple tank awaits restoration work for several years. Having got only one embankment constructed a few years ago, the other sides were left dangerously open, posing a risk to children. There were several instances of drowning too.
Residents keep dumping garbage in the tank, let sewage into it and wash their clothes and bathe their animals. In the evening, a few miscreants use the place to consume alcohol and a few use it as a public convenience.
Komala, a resident of Old Pallavaram, said, “I find it difficult to go to the nearby temple at night, as the place is plunged in darkness. And men in inebriated condition are found there.” When contacted, the Councillor said the contractor employed for the purpose passed away and that steps would be taken soon to restore and beautify the tank with a walkers’ path too.
She said she had also asked for the support of the local MLA.
Name: Selliamman Koil temple tank
Location: Keelkattalai
Area: 2 to 3 acres
Current Status: Dry from April. It's however clean. Water is let in through tanker lorries, to keep the fishes alive.
Every alternate day, 24,000 litres of water is used for this purpose.
The condition of Selliamman Koil temple tank at Keelkattalai, 300 to 350 years old, is comparatively better, with no encroachments on the banks and a compound wall built on the outside. It spreads over two to three acres and was beautified several years ago with parks built in the outer area.
It also received a dedicated walkers’ path. Fishes of several varieties were let inside the tank and people used to throw all imaginable feeds to them.
Kamatchi, a resident, says, “It used to be a great sight in the evening with children feeding the fishes and senior citizens sitting in a huddle on the steps of the tank and chatting. The tank had water till six months ago. From April, the tank began to get dry. As a result, people stopped visiting. The park also had few visitors. If the government de-silts the tank and makes arrangements to avoid the dryness of the tank, then it would be of much help. Because of the dryness, we lost a beautiful park in the locality.”
In order to give life to the fish inside, on every alternate day, nearly 24,000 litres of water from tanker lorries are let into the tank to keep nearly seven varieties of fish alive at a cost of Rs. 50,000 every month.
A culvert connecting the nearby Moovarasempet tank with this tank has been constructed with the permission of the government. During the rainy season, the excess water from the Moovarasempet tank is let into the Selliamman temple.
K. Viswanathan, Councillor, says, “We do not allow the residents to dump garbage or let sewage into the tank. We are strict and will take action immediately, if we see illegal sewage connections going into the tank. However, we cannot stop the tank from getting dry during summer. Just to keep the fish alive, we pour water into the tank, though we find it difficult to manage the funds for it.”
