KUMILY: Tamil Nadu has started the ground work for building a memorial for British engineer John Pennycuick who was instrumental in building the Mullaperiyar dam from which water is provided to five districts of the state.
The 2500 sq ft museum for John Pennycuick, who was also a member of the Madras Legislative Council, is coming up at Lower Camp about eight kms from here near Cumbum in Theni district.
The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has given 2.23 acre of land for building the memorial.
The foundation stone of the memorial was laid by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa through video-conferencing.
The PWD has been given direction to complete the project in six months’ time at a cost of `1.25 crore.
A bronze statue of Pennycuick, a conference hall, garden and parking bay are some of the features of the memorial.
The museum will exhibit the copy of the 999-year lease agreement signed between Travancore king Visakham Thirunal and Madras Presidency, the photos of the machineries used for building the dam and the available pictures of those who played key role in its construction. The aim of the government is to inform the future generation about the relevance of the dam to the state.