Special Correspondent
Armed with funding from AIMS India Foundation, United States of America, the Anna University’s Tirunelveli Regional Office team that virtually resurrected Thozhappanpannai Channel and Pattaraikulam near Srivaikundam in Thoothukudi district in November last, is embarked upon the reclamation of sprawling Padmanabamangalam Kaspakulam, a system tank in the same area that feeds over 2,500 acres.
After the Anna University’s Regional Office team, led by its Dean G. Shakthinathan successfully took in 2015 Chittar water to Maanur Big Tank, the district’s biggest irrigation tank, by removing the encroachments and rocks along the channel through scientific approach and official machinery’s half-hearted support, the team desilted in November last Thozhappanpannai Channel and Pattaraikulam, both getting water from Marudhur Keezhakaal of Tamirabharani irrigation system, after scientific mapping.
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Though the villagers, the actual beneficiaries, were initially reluctant, Dr. Shakthinathan’s team executed the project with the financial assistance of AIMS India Foundation.
As anticipated, the tank brimmed with water after the northeast monsoon last year.
Now, the team has started its work at Padmanabamangalam Kaspakulam, the next tank after Pattaraikulam tank.
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As the Anna University Regional Office team, under its rural development progamme, began the scientific survey in May last on reclamation of the tank with Dr. Shakthinathan leading the exercise, the farmers did not believe that the sprawling waterbody on 463 acres, which now holds water for about 20% of its original capacity, could be revived to its old glory.
When the work was started on June 19 last with three heavy equipment started removing the abundantly grown ‘seemai karuvelam’ and jatropha, the farmers getting water from this irrigation tank to nourish their crops cultivated on over 2,500 acres believed that the waterbody would brim with more water in the next monsoon.
When AIMS India Foundation’s Ravi Venkatesh and Aliyar Sahib visited the Padmanabamangalam Kaspakulam on Saturday to assess the progress of the work, a small group of farmers received them with shawls. Fondly holding their hands, the agriculturists thanked them for having revived their profession by reclaiming the tank.
“Though you’re living thousands of miles away from us, you’ve not forgotten us… You’ve contributed liberally for improving our livelihood,” the emotionally surcharged farmers thanked the AIMS India Foundation representatives.
“A section of Tamil Diaspora in the United States joined hands with us in this noble exercise for which we conducted ‘moi virundhu’ (organising sumptuous lunch for Tamils there and getting contributions from them for a particular cause) in Washington DC. With this money, we’re encouraging our friends here to reclaim the almost dead waterbodies,” said Mr. Aliyar, who was quite satisfied with the ongoing work.
The biggest challenge being faced by Dr. Shakthinathan-led team is the encroachment of the tank by a few people, who cultivate crops right inside the tank’s elevated portions whenever it receives water. To ensure minimum storage of water in the tank, the encroachers, in a bid to save their crops cultivated inside the tank, have removed all four shutters at the eastern end of the tank.
“We’ve completed only a portion of the total work. Now, one-fourth of the tank is under the control of the encroachers and hence we’ve planned to seek the Collector’s intervention so as to ensure storing of water on entire 463 acre once the reclamation work is completed,” Dr. Shakthinathan said.