PERAMBALUR: For a second time, residents of Nochiyam village in the district restored a lake at their own expense and have sought more funds from the government for completion of the work. The restoration work, which began last week, ended on Saturday.
Spread over five acres, the Ooreri used to receive water during rains and was used for irrigation and other purposes, except for drinking needs. However, Seemai Karuvelam trees covered most part of the lake, which went almost dry owing to insufficient rains and poor inflow from nearby canals.
Villagers said they had filed several petitions to the authorities to restore the waterbody, but in vain. In 2019, youths of the village, with the help of other residents, raised an amount of Rs 2.5 lakh and cleared the trees covering the lake, levelled its banks with sand and cleaned its canals.
Last week, the residents cleared the tress, which had once again come up on the dried up parts, using JCB equipment. They deepened the lake by 0.5 feet to raise the water level and set up four concrete pipes in the lake at a cost of Rs 50,000.
Speaking to TNIE, B Paulraj, a youth, said, "The lake overflowed last year due to the work we carried out two years ago. The water was used for four months. Cattle owners used it for their animals. Currently, the water level in the lake is low once again."
N Kumar, another resident, said, "The lake cannot hold much water as it is not too deep. If there is water in this lake for long, groundwater level in the area will improve. We have deepened the lake a bit. We are now seeking help from the authorities to complete the work. They should at least take up the maintenance work of the lake. It is important to maintain the lake as it provides us with enough water even during summers."