MADURAI
Sitting under the scorching sun, 85-year-old V. Thurairaj recalls his memories of the Karuppayee oorani (pond). He says, “When I was a teenager, the pond used to be brimming with clear water and was the main source for domestic usage.”
In stark contrast, today the pond has shrunk to a small pool of green slime and has become a receptacle for trash.
The pond, located in the Karuppayurani village, has a rich past. “When a shepherd named Karupayee came with her cattle to the village, she found a spring. After digging it, potable water sprung out and the villagers built an oorani in that place. Karupayee took care of the oorani and the villagers out of gratitude named the oorani after her name. Since the village was established based on the oorani, the village was named Karuppayurani,” says 62-year-old resident V. Lakshmi.
The main source of water for the pond is from one of the sluices of the 9th branch of Periyar main canal. The water from the canal fills a small pool and the surplus is carried through a channel into the Karupayee oorani.
“That channel has now been blocked as houses are constructed on the path of the channel,” says M. Bagyalakshmi, a resident.
Surplus water flowing from a pumping station of ‘Cauvery Integrated Drinking Water Project’ and rainfall are currently the source of water for the pond.
Residents also complain that a pipeline connecting the pond with a tertiary channels remains broken for the last two years.
“Until 10 years back, this oorani had clear water. Cowherds used to use the pond for cooling off their cows. Many residents would use the water to wash their clothes. Women used to draw water from the pond for cooking and bathing,” says Ms. Lakshmi.
Today, the pond is choked with plastic bags, milk sachets, and household waste now. It has become a cesspool of juliflora plants and sewage.
“Around six months back, panchayat members removed the juliflora trees from the pond. However, they dumped the removed trees back into the pond,” complains S. Veeramani, caretaker at an anganwadi centre near the pond.
M. Vellathurai, a resident of the village, complains that the pond has not been desilted for the last 10 years. “Earlier, we used to desilt the pond regularly. After the upkeep of the pond was left to the local civic body, people have lost the connection with the oorani,” says Ms. Lakshmi.
Staff from the Karuppayurani panchayat office says that the pond was desilted a year back. The staff also added that authorities will inspect the pond and decide on the repair works for the broken pipeline.
