The Hindu : Front Page : No flood threat, thanks to Mudalaimuthuvari tank

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 09, 2005

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No flood threat, thanks to Mudalaimuthuvari tank

G. Srinivasan

No water scarcity for cultivation

YIELDING DIVIDENDS: The tank across the Mudalaimuthuvari at Channampatti near Thanjavur.

Thanjavur : The Mudalaimuthuvari, a jungle stream, would have been in spate during the current rainy spell and several villages in Thanjavur taluk left at the mercy of floods, but for the tank constructed at Channampatti 22 km from here, in June. The tank has proved its utility value holding the rainwater.

``But for the tank, Alakudi, Vannarapettai, Ramanathapuram, Sakkarasamantham, Pallieri, Velur and Vennavadi would have reeled under floods,'' said S. Sanjeevi Ram, Executive Engineer, and S. Ravichandran, Assistant Engineer of the Grand Anaicut Canal division of the Public Works Department.

They said that water was now standing at three meters against the tank's full height of five meters and its capacity of 75.350 million cubic feet. When the tank was full by the end of November, water would be released for irrigation for three months from December.

Mostly dry crops such as groundnut, maize, ragi etc. are raised in the villages where water for irrigation is provided. Stabilisation has been given to four tanks, which irrigate wetland where paddy is raised. So, the villagers in the area would have an assured supply of water for cultivation, besides relief from flood threat, Mr. Ram said.

Underground water in the villages had also been recharged because of the reservoir, said Mr. Ravichandran. There are four slices — two on the left side and two on the right side of the tank. Two sluices will let water through supply channels to 900 acres of dryland and the other two are used for stabilising tanks that irrigate 270.49 acres. The tanks, which get stabilisation, are Rettai eri, Kalipudayan eri, Sekkipatti eri and Sarvamanya eri.

Constructed at a cost of Rs.9.73 crores, the tank has an earthen bund of 2150 metres, water-spread area of 132.745 hectares and catchment of 8.10 square miles. Maximum flood discharge is 4320 cusecs.

The tank has provided relief from flood to 3400 acres of the Grand Anaicut Canal and Vennar ayacuts. Net additional food production owing to the tank would be 1421.81 tonnes.

The tank located on the border of Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts (the tank bund is in Thanjavur district and its water-spread area in Pudukottai district) could be developed into a tourist spot also, the engineers said. Farmers in the area have welcomed the construction of the tank across the river. ``Now we can cultivate crops without any water scarcity,'' they said.

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