PERAMBALUR: A dirt road leads to Arumadal village’s only source of water. Once resembling this beaten path, the Nalla Thanner Kulam (good water pond), had been dry for over 50 years. Now, surrounded by native Seemai Karuvela trees and a slight breeze in the air, Nalla Thanner Kulam is nearly full with water. Thanks to the efforts of 20 youngsters from the village.
Flowing over two acres in Arumadal village in Perambalur district, it was built by a woman, says 89-year-old Pandiyan M. This 100-year-old pond gets its water from the farmers’ fields. When it rains, the water moves through a canal on the south-end and is deposited in it. Residents used this pond for drinking water and other purposes.
“My father was involved in repairing the pond whenever it gets damaged. Although the pond is very old, the depth at that time was only 12 feet. I remember the pond brimming with water when I was 30 years old. But due to lack of rains and maintenance, it dried up,” recalls Pandiyan. The canal which carries the water to the pond, too, had been neglected, leaving the 100-year-old waterbody to completely dry up.
Noticing that the pond could be revived, youngsters from the village and the neighbouring hamlet Perali decided to start dredging the pond in 2020. Pooling in Rs 20,000, they constructed a canal of 15 metres on the north side of the pond. They also removed some of the trees surrounding the pond to create steps so that the public and cattle can access the waterbody with no difficulty. As the State received good rainfall this season, the pond is now 90 per cent full, easing the village’s water scarcity.
K Praveen, who took part in the initiative to revive the pond, said “The pond was last filled 50 years ago. Now, its depth is more than twice what it was before and so, more water is saved this year. We hope that this will meet the needs of the villagers and cattle for a year. The pond was only used for drinking requirements previously, now people can use it for various purposes.”
S Ragavan, another resident who took part in the initiative said, “The pond did not get the water it needed for a long time. This traditional pond was headed for destruction. But with the little work we did, the pond is now full. The government must restore other traditional waterbodies in the district.”
He adds that farmers found it difficult to continue to work as the water stagnated in their fields without the canal. ”After the canal was set up, farmers can now continue without problems and it is also easy for rainwater to come to the pond,” he said
Having seen the pond filled again, Pandiyan urges the authorities to take up its maintenance. “When the pond was filled, it helped us a lot. I am happy that the pond is now almost full after many years, due to the effort of the youth,” he adds.
Suggesting ways to help maintain the pond, Ragavan said it must be maintained by the panchayat every year. A fence should be set up and the canal on the south side of the pond needs to be renovated.
“The authorities must also inspect the histories of the traditional waterbodies and set up information boards near them. This information should be published on the district website for future generations,” Ragavan adds.