Volunteers join hands for dredging of temple pond

Neerthuligal Iyakkam takes up conservation of water body

Voluntary initiative: A group of volunteers, under Neerthuligal Iyakkam, launching dredging of Pachaiyamman Temple pond in Tiruvannamalai.

Neerthuligal Iyakkam, an activist group working to restore water bodies in the town, has taken up dredging of a pond located near Pachaiyamman temple here.

There are a couple of ponds near the temple in Tiruvannamalai. Between the main pond of the temple and another folk temple called Ammachar temple located among the greenery, there is a pond that receives water from the brook that originates in the hill. When it rains the pond and the brook make such a serene landscape. Over the years, the silt has filled up the tank. The Neerthuligal Iyakkam volunteers toiled in the pond on Saturday apart from using an excavator to dredge it.

J. Neelakantan, one of the organisers of the movement, said: “We want to save the pond from going into oblivion as a result of persistent mud deposits that come through the brook. Moreover, we want to retain the water when it rains in summer.

“This pond and the main pond of the temple have gone dry. These ponds are vital for maintaining water table in this neighbourhood,” he said.

The volunteers have decided to continue their work with the help of the machinery for a couple of days.