THOOTHUKUDI: While celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Rao Bahadur Cruz Fernandez, five-time chairman of Thoothukudi Municipality, residents here on Thursday demanded the state government to declare the birth anniversary celebrations as a government function.
Cruz Fernandez, who was born in 1869, served as the Chairman for the Thoothukudi Municipality for five terms during 1909, 1910, 1912, 1919 and 1925. He is especially remembered for his efforts to bring potable water to the town from Thamirabarani river.
A Tamil teacher and writer, Neithal Anto, told TNIE that back then when the town only had a population of around 26,000, potable water was brought in via trains from Kadambur and country boats from Sri Lanka.
At that time, potable water was accessible only to the British people and the wealthy.
The under-privileged were forced to share the water from wells, which caused epidemics like Cholera, he said.
Anto said that Fernandez had proposed the then Tirunelveli collector to operate a joint water scheme from Vallanadu to supply water to Thoothukudi, Palayamkottai and Tirunelveli municipalities, which was put on hold during the First World War.
During his fifth term as the chairman in 1925, Fernandez re-estimated the scheme to Rs 28 lakh from the initial Rs 14 lakh and the project was completed in 1938. Amid public uproar, a water tax was levied to meet the expenses of the project, said Anto.
“Vallanadu is 38 kilometres away from Thoothukudi town and still the drinking water for the town is being supplied from there,” he added.
Fernandez launched the Saturday market near Telegraph Office to facilitate a commercial centre for the traders of all castes.
He formed a syndicate group among the cotton traders to fund poor students’ education. He also formed a cooperative bank to help the poor people to build houses, said sources.
Appreciating his public service, the then British government had honoured him with the title “Rao Bahadur” and the former municipal building was named after him.
A full-size statue of Fernandez was installed on Palayamkottai Road on May 6, 1962, which is being maintained by private people for the past 40 years.
Cruz Fernandez Narpani Mandram President A Herman Gild said that the birth anniversary should be celebrated as a State event.
He requested the State to name the new corporation building after Fernandez and build a memorial for him.
“A representation in this regard has been sent to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Information and Publicity Minister Kadambur C Raju,” added Herman Gild.