‘Oorani’ restored from encroacher brimming with water

Kothai oorani with water to its brim.

Sivakasi

An ‘oorani’ dug up on an 82-cents of a land that was retrieved from an encroacher in June has water to its brim, thanks to the recent rain.

“We have water to its full capacity and already the new oorani has started showing its benefits,” said Athikulam Sengulam Panchayat President, C. Sekar (38).

A casual enquiry about a layout of residential plots during a routine inspection by Sivakasi Sub-Collector, C. Dinesh Kumar, revealed that a portion of the layout was under encroachment, under Srivilliputtur panchayat union.

“It had been under encroachment for a few generations. I have seen it as a paddy field in my childhood. But later it became part of a layout,” Mr. Sekar said.

The officials found that 82 cents of land, now worth a few crores, were earlier Kothai oorani, though the officials had issued patta for it in 1990.

“We immediately planned to restore the oorani at its spot so that it would benefit the local people and also it could not be again encroached upon,” the Sub-Collector said.

The local panchayat spent around ₹ 2 lakh to dig up the oorani with walkers’ path on its bund.

The oorani of 60 metres by 55 metres with a depth of 12 feet was restored in anticipation of the monsoon rain.

Mr. Sekar said some 10 irrigation wells in a radius of over 500 metres were getting recharged.