Sorry state: Tirupur's first water tank pulled down
TIRUPUR: Tirupur's first water tank, said to be 80 years old, was demolished by the municipal corporation on Friday. Sources said that the tank was inaugurated by the then Madras Presidency - Minister for Public Health Dr TSS Rajan on February 26, 1939 in the presence of the then corporation chairman K N Palanisami and Commissioner S Sivasami.
Speaking to TNIE, Director of Virarajendran Archaeological and Historical Research Centre S Ravikumar said, "The water tank was built during a time of acute water shortage. In early 1920s and 1930s, there were not many water resources for the residents to rely on besides Noyyal river and farm wells. Following this, a detailed study was conducted by the municipality officils who identified a spot -- Paraman Ottru -- in Kovil Vazhi along Dharapuram Road. There, a borewell was dug and a pumping station was created. A large tank with a capacity of three lakh litres was built
in order to store the water. For 30 years, this was one of the main source of water for thousands of residents in the district. When textile industries started mushrooming in the 1980-90s, population increased and the tank water was insufficient. Then, the civic body brought water from Mettupalayam through a new system."
This scheme decreased the residents' dependency on the water tank; over a period of team, the facility remained unused and became dilapidated. So, the civic body officials demolished the structure with the help of large earthmovers. Soon, a new larger tank would be constructed at the same place.