If all goes well, Coimbatore denizens may in the next couple of months see some rowing events in the Singanallur Tank. The move is part of the civic body’s efforts to improve the tank and put it to continuous use so as to prevent degradation.
The civic body on Saturday took the first step in this regard with the visit of Member Secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, Shambhu Kallolikar, Collector Archana Patnaik, Mayor P. Rajkumar, Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan, Deputy Commissioner P. Gandhimathi and others to the tank.
Mr. Rajkumar said that the Corporation proposed to introduce canoeing, kayaking, etc. on a portion of the 800-acre tank with financial assistance and help from the Authority.
It would also improve the boathouse with help from the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation.
At present, the civic body is engaged in removing water hyacinth and cleaning the tank.
Dr. Vijayakarthikeyan said that the Authority may by the end of this month take rowers to the tank for demonstration and invite the public to witness the event. It would be a sort of trial sail for a week. If it proved successful, the Corporation in consultation with the Authority introduce single and double seat kayaks.
The Corporation would in the days to come also encourage formation of rowing clubs.
On its part the civic body would remove encroachments near the tank, provide parking facilities and do things that would draw visitors.
The Mayor said that as part of the tank rejuvenation plan, the Corporation would look at building an exclusive sewage treatment plan. This was necessary to ensure that the water that flowed into the tank was not sewage.
And, to set things in motion, the civic body administration would table a subject in this regard before the Council.
He added that the rowing would happen only in a portion of the tank and in such a way that avian life remained unaffected.
