The Public Works Department took a set of farmers from Melur in Madurai district on a visit to see the kudimaramathu works under way in Natham on Tuesday.
“This is an initiative to create awareness among farmers as kudimaramathu scheme is being carried out with contribution from farmers,” said Chief Engineer, Water Resources Organisation, Madurai region, M. Krishnan.
“Farmers from a district are taken to a neighbouring district so that there’s an exchange of ideas and opinions. Under kudimaramathu, there are 681 works going on in Madurai region, including 135 in Madurai district. A total of ₹ 230 crore has been sanctioned for the region. Almost 50% of the works is complete and the remaining will be completed in a month,” he added.
The team of farmers along with PWD working inspectors and other officials visited three tanks in Natham, including Panangudi tank in Boothakudi village, Thathankulam tank in Chellappanayakkanpatti and Muthupillaiyenthal tank in Samuthrapatti.
The Panangudi tank is among the large tanks in the area with an extent of 26.43 ha and a storage capacity of 7.769 mcft. The tank’s ayacut is 42.51 ha and the estimated cost of works in the tank is ₹42.240 lakh. Two main sluices of the tank are being reconstructed apart from strengthening of the bund for 1030 metres.
Kudimaramathu works in Thathankulam and Muthupillayenthal tanks are taken up at a cost of ₹19.21 lakh and ₹15.20 lakh respectively.
The farmers inspected the works and suggested their opinions to the officials. The PWD officials explained and cleared their doubts.
K. Karuppasamy, a sugarcane farmer from Manickampatti in Melur said, “It is appreciable that the government has taken steps to upgrade waterbodies through kudimaramathu. But, the works should be implemented properly. It is stipulated that the width of the bund should be 21 feet, but in many places that has not been maintained.”
“Likewise, the sluices are being reconstructed without upgrading the supply channels to the tanks. It is appreciable that encroachments have been removed from waterbodies, but desilting should also be taken up in a full-fledged manner. Without restoring supply channels, the tanks may not receive proper water flow,” he pointed out.
