RAMANATHAPURAM: The Alattu tank in Ramanathapuram's Sayalkudi almost reached its capacity in January, thanks to the collaborative efforts of local youth, who rallied under environmental activist Nimal Raghavan to clear invasive species from the tank. This initiative has aided farmers in the district, which is also renowned for being prone to droughts.
There are more than 600 water resources department tanks and over 4,000 panchayat tanks in the district. The Alattu tank was one among the many waterbodies restored by Nimal and his team, which had set out to restore the 15-km-long Sankarathevan Canal. The seeds of the restoration of the waterbodies had been sowed by several requests put forth by Nimal.
With a consolidated effort, works on the Sankarathevan Canal were completed in November. This, in turn, ensured flow of water from the canal to Alattu tank during the monsoon in December and January.
The Aalattu tank in Sayalkudi is one of the major tanks spread across eight acres, and had remained parched for years. Two months have passed and the tank is now brimming with water, as well as recharging the groundwater table.
While speaking to TNIE, Nimal stated, "Though these tanks could solve the water needs of the district, the channels run dry and remain unkempt for years. Thus, a special drive was carried out along with the local youth. Following the restoration of the Sankarathevan Canal, several tanks in Sayalkudi are now receiving decent amount of water."
Nimal added that if all the canals and branch channels that connect the tanks in the rural areas are properly maintained, the water woes in the district can be addressed. Nimal further urged the government and authorities concerned to take action on the issues.