The Chithrakulam tank in Mylapore is being desilted by the Sri Audikesava Perumal temple. Work to remove the top soil, lay a clay layer and replace the soil is likely to take 10 days and cost ₹10 lakh. The work is being done in connection with the annual five-day Thepothsavam (float festival), to be held in January.
“We had dug out a small portion inside the bed of the tank for two years. But this year, we are seeing if the clay layer will help retain the water. We are trying to remove plants from the bottom,” said N.C. Sridharan, chairman and managing trustee of the temple.
The tank is spread over an acre, and it has stormwater drains (SWDs) leading to it. But the drains do not function well, as garbage is dumped into them by shopkeepers. “The Corporation moved hawkers from near the Kapaleeswarar temple tank to near our temple tank. They throw garbage inside our tank and we spend close to ₹12 lakh every year. We have filed a case asking that they be removed,” he added. Mylapore MLA R. Natraj said there were 12 SWD inlets leading to the tank and five of those needed repairs.
On the first three days of the festival, the utsava idol of Sri Audikesava Perumal is taken on the float; on the fourth day, it is the turn of Sri Rama and on the last, the idol of Peyalwar is taken out.
