A year after floods, lands turn unfit for cultivation

Several patches of land covered with layers of sand carried by the floods in December 2015

A PERSISTENT PROBLEM: Citizens want the State government to provide a weir, which could act as a regulator or a check dam across the Ongur river.

For over a year now, residents of villages near Madurantakam have refrained from cultivation. Ongur river that swelled beyond its capacity in December 2015 had flooded their fields and covered them with layers of sand.

While other areas of Kancheepuram district are struggling with water crisis, villages in Madurantakam taluk such as V.K. Agaram and Vilambattu have to deal with the problem of loads of sand left on their fields after the floods receded.

Despite hauling away tonnes of sand with the support of National Agro Foundation (NAF), a non-governmental organisation, many villagers say the fields still have sand to be cleared.

Residents recalled that the surplus water from Ongur river, which swelled during December 2015 floods, damaged the regulator of a water channel and inundated the fields of three villages. A portion of bund of the water channel, which carries surplus water of Ongur river to Sunambedu lake, was washed away and later constructed with the help of the NAF.

The 42-km Ongur river, which originates as a surplus course of Saram tank in Tindivanam, carries water from Nedunkal Odai in Kancheepuram district and finally drains into the Bay of Bengal. It feeds a few water bodies en route.

M. Babu, a resident of V.K. Agaram, located about 30 km away from Madurantakam, said most residents have not cultivated for over a year now as the Ongur river and water bodies are fast drying up.

“We are managing with rice provided at ration shops and meagre income from cattle,” he said.

The local people wanted the State government to provide a weir, which could act as a regulator or a check dam to manage water needs and prevent flooding. Boopalan said nearly 90 acres were affected during the floods and sand was noticed in March after flood waters receded. Only a few farmers recently cultivated water melons.

Officials of the Water Resources Department said the stream did not have a regular flow and narrowed down near the tailend. While it was difficult to regulate the river flow, steps would be taken to repair the damaged regulator.