The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : "Ancient tanks as important as heritage buildings"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 21, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

"Ancient tanks as important as heritage buildings"

"Access to water gives power. Several conflicts in the past were based on water"

P. Gomathinayagam. — Photo: M. Vedhan

There are few river basins or tanks in the State that he has not visited. He has devoted several years of his career conducting research on irrigation management and tank systems in government departments and institutions, besides designing dams.

He has documented the history of river basins, tanks and water management practices in the print and visual medium. P. Gomathinayagam, a former Public Works Department engineer and irrigation consultant, explains the outcomes of his studies to K. Lakshmi.

"We must preserve ancient tanks and give them as much importance as heritage buildings," said Mr. Gomathinayagam, who was inspired to take up a career in water resources in his youth.

A voracious reader, he was fascinated by a novel on dam construction by Tamil writer Rajam Krishnan. "My passion for research on water bodies started with field surveys for government projects that involved extensive studies of water resources and their use."

His career as a faculty member at the Anna University and the Irrigation Management Training Institute, Trichy, also helped him research traditional irrigation systems and tank rehabilitation approaches. He has documented the history of 33 river basins in the State on video, still available at the Institute.

After having worked on several national and international projects on baseline survey of rivers and tank modernisation, he wrote booklets for farmers on irrigation management and practices.

"Access to water gives power. Several conflicts in the past were based on water," he said.

Mr. Gomathinayagam has co-authored a book on `In Search of Ancient Wisdom-Irrigation Tanks' along with S.M. Rathnavel. Itis packed with surprises about the shape of tank construction and traditional water management practices.

Traditional village councils ensured equal water rights and helped sustenance of water bodies through various methods of revenue collection. There were several fascinating types of sluices, including the `Pullikkan Madai' or Tiger's eye sluice, with three holes in a triangular shape that enabled a person dive and operate the holes according to water demands, he added.

Citing an example of systematic management and precision, he said Dusimarudur tank near Kancheepuram, constructed in 700 AD, had four sluices of which two were elevated and two at a lower level to release water according to the irrigation requirements of different villages.

Marvelling at the strength of the earthern bunds, constructed in 985 AD, that withstood floods, he said, "We had to use explosives to break the bunds of the Veeranam tank as part of pipe laying work."

Of the about 39,000 tanks, only 600 tanks have been rehabilitated so far in the State. "About 30 tanks along the coastline from Chennai to Mahabalipuram, which existed during 1960s, have disappeared now," he said.

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