The Sreevarahom temple tank, one of the largest ponds in the city, is set to receive a new lease of life. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has joined hands with the district administration, City Corporation and devotees to clean up the tank and beautify its surroundings. Minister for Devaswom V.S. Sivakumar will inaugurate the project on Tuesday evening.
The project gained momentum in May this year after a large number of dead fish surfaced in the pond. A committee chaired by Mayor K. Chandrika was constituted to mobilise support for the clean-up proposal. The TDB had earlier secured court approval for a Rs.83-lakh proposal to desilt the pond, clean the water and reconstruct the sidewalls. The TDB had agreed to release Rs.33 lakh for the project.
The district administration also decided to mobilise aid from the constituency development funds of MPs Shashi Tharoor and T.N. Seema and MLAs. The Mayor will inaugurate the fund mobilisation for the project on Tuesday.
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The Fisheries Department has been using the tank to promote aquaculture. Three freshwater species, namely Catla, Rohu and Mrigal, have been introduced into the water and are harvested periodically. The fish kill reported in May has been attributed to the presence of tar and oil residue in the water.
The district administration had earlier announced projects to restore the Mithranandapuram, Padmatheertham and Palkulangara temple tanks.