Dry since it was built 12 years ago, Tiruvannamalai dam cries for urgent attention
TIRUVANNMALAI: Much has been talked about, of late, on harvesting rain water, raising structures to store more water to save it for future use as drought has badly hit several parts of Tamil Nadu whose woes are compounded by a hide and seek monsoon.
It is appalling to note that a reservoir in Tiruvannamalai district has been failing to serve its purpose ever since it was constructed.
The Shenbagathope dam, one of the four major reservoirs aimed at feeding Tiruvannamalai district, has long been crying for care as it is in pathetic conditions with damaged shutters and broken masonry structures.
Surrounded by serene greenery, the reservoir, located at Padavedu in Polur taluk, looks quiet for want activity without water, which has hit the dead storage level.
With a full reservoir height of 62 feet to store about 287 mcft water, the construction works was launched in 2001 and completed in 2007, sources said.
They recalled that from the beginning, the project was mired in controversies one after another. Faulty shutters led to a storm triggering punitive action. Three officers of PWD were axed, the contractor was denied project cost.
The 2012 floods further damaged the shutters numbering seven, permanently impairing the structure.
The loud cry of farmers and activists seem to have fallen on deaf ears for more than two decades.
“We have made several attempts to draw the attention of the concerned top officials to repair the dam. Shot off memorandums and staged demonstrations but of no avail,” rues KV Rajkumar, president of South Indian Sugarcane Farmers Association.
The reservoir was meant to recharge 46 tanks, including 16 in Polur, 12 in Arni, 9 in Arcot, 8 in Cheyyar and 1 in Vandavasi. As many as 30 villages are to benefit from the dam but nothing happened, he says.
Plantain, paddy and groundnut are predominantly cultivated in the places surrounding the dam but unavailability of water has affected agricultural activities in about 6,700 acres. The outlet channels to the dam were also not laid in proper manner. The chilling basin is remaining damaged.
Efforts of the local officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) to give a makeover to Shenbagathope dam did not yield the results as their proposals were not cleared last year.
However, it is expected that a recent proposal to replace the shutters at a cost of Rs. 16 crore will be cleared shortly.
“We have sent a comprehensive proposal for replacing all the seven shutters of Shenbagathope dam at a cost of Rs. 16 crore to the government recently. We expect the proposal to get the nod of the concerned authorities,” a senior official of WRD told Express.
He is hopeful of the proposal finding a place in the announcements of PWD during the debate on demand for grants to the department in the Assembly.
“Once we get the clearance, funds will be sanctioned in two months time, tender process will be completed in a month and subsequently works can be started,” the official said.