Obstruction of water channel will prove disastrous: Collector

Obstruction of Madakulam surplus water channel has led to stagnation at Duraisamy Nagar in Madurai. | Photo Credit: G. Moorthy

Collector S. Aneesh Sekhar has directed engineers of Public Works Department and Madurai Corporation to conduct a joint inspection of the channel draining water from Madakulam tank into Kiruthumal river.

Chairing the monthly farmers' grievances redressal meeting here on Friday, Mr. Sekhar said that lack of patency of the channel would prove to be disastrous for the people living downstream the irrigation tank during floods.

In a petition, a farmer, Nagarajan, said that the channel of the middle sluice of the tank used to have a width of 17 feet to 35 feet.

However, it has now been reduced to three feet to 10 feet. Besides, the channel missed its link to drain water from the tank to Kiruthumal river.

When the response from Public Works Department engineer was sought, an engineer said that the Corporation had reduced the width of the channel with it took up concrete lining of the work under Jawaharalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Besides, the work was left incomplete due to shortage of funds.

However, the Collector wondered how could the PWD, which is the custodian of the waterbody, leave the channel in a bad shape.

"Though the area of ayacut under the middle sluice has reduced considerably, the issue is important since the tank was catering to the water needs of thousands of borewells of the residential areas of Duraisamy Nagar, Velmurugan Nagar and other areas," said A. Marisamy, a farmer.

Even without water being released for Madakulam tank, the surplus channels of other tanks brought copious water to Madakulam tank. "Water level in the tank raises fast which necessiates its release through the three sluices and two of them surplus water channels were blocked, which is a matter of concern," he said.

He also complained that the channel was under encroachment and was being used as car parking.

Stating that the issue was very serious, the Collector said that the first priority should be to restore the linkage of the channel to drain water. He assured that the issue of narrowing down of the channel would also be taken up later.