A sprawling area of about 114 hectares of ‘Periya Eri’ in the heart of Thuraiyur town in the district has been in disuse for the past several decades. With an ayacut of 223 hectares, it has been catering to the irrigational needs of a number of villages located in the Thuraiyur block. The storage level, during its peak period, stood at 1.7798 million cubic metres.
A typical example of rainwater harvesting, farmers in and around Thuraiyur say the water body had been neglected for a long period. The surplus from the tank flows into the “Chinna eri” which has an area of 31.39 hectares located in front of the bus stand.
Thick growth of “karuvel” species all around the area has virtually thrown the tank out of use for the past several decades.
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The Public Works Department has submitted a Rs.1.52-crore proposal for the proper upkeep and maintenance for the restoration of the tank. The proposal includes strengthening of building sluices and weirs, lining the field channels and dredging the tank bed. The supply channel running to 6 km collects water from the jungle streams in Maruvathur–Keeraambur junction area.
Only 30 per cent of the sprawling tank would be dredged in the initial phase, sources said.
Sources said the tank during its peak period, irrigated fields in Thuraiyur, Vengadesapuram, and Krishnapuram.
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P. Viswanathan, State president of the Tamizhaga Eri and Aatru Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam, said the tank should be completely dredged and encroachments on the supply channels be cleared.
Thuraiyur was one of the few towns in the State to have a sprawling tank for realising the jungle waters, he said.
Only 30 p.c. of the tank area to be dredged initially
Thick growth of ‘karuvel’ blocking water flow in channels