Tanks fast filling up in central districts

Heavy rains in catchment areas have brought in good inflows to several tanks in Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts.

In Pudukottai district, 364 out of the 1,131 tanks controlled by the Public Works Department have reached full capacity, while 352 others have attained nearly 75% capacity.

A senior PWD official said some of the big tanks which had attained full capacity were at Parambur, Paakudi, Kulathur, Vallanadu, Neerpalani, Avvayarpatti and Mirattu Nilai. The Kavinaadu tank situated a few km from Pudukottai Town had attained nearly 90% capacity, the official said adding no breaches had been reported in any of the PWD tanks so far.

In Tiruchi district, 12 of the 98 non-system tanks under the Ariyar Division of the PWD have filled up so far. Three other tanks had 81% to 90% storage and nine had 71% to 80% storage. Thirty-three tanks had less than 25% storage.

Nine of the filled-up tanks in the district were in Thuraiyur sub-division. The rain in Kolli hill ranges has brought in good inflows to the tanks in the region including the Alathudayanpatti Periya Eri and Jamberi. The Jamberi is one of the biggest irrigation tanks in the district and irrigates a fertile belt where the famous seeraga samba rice is grown.

The Alathudayapatti Chinna Eri, Thuraiyur Chinna Eri, Sirunavalur, Senappanallur, Naganaickampatti, Venkatachalapuram and Perur tanks are the other tanks in the sub-division which have filled up. The Kumbakudi, Kolukkattaikudi and Inam Kulathur Periyakulam in Tiruchi sub-division have also filled up.

Of the 14 tanks under the Ariyar division in Karur district, the Vadaseri tank in Kulithalai taluk has filled up.

In Perambalur district, 10 of the 73 tanks under the control of the Public Works Department have filled up so far. This includes the Arumbavur big and small tanks, Keezha Perambalur, Vadakalur, Noothapur, Venbavur, Pandagapadi, Arasalur, Melapuliyur and Vadakkalur Agraharam tanks. The Nerkunam, Peraiyur and Vayualur tanks in the district had 81%-90% storage of their capacities.

Five other tanks, Perambalur small tank, Thuraimangalam Big Tank, V.Kalathur small and big tanks and Kurumbalur tank, have 71% to 80% storage. The storage ranged between 51% to 70% in five other tanks and between 26% to 50% in 17 others. Thirty-three tanks in the district have storage ranging between 1% to 25% of their capacities, according to officials of the Public Works Department, Marudaiyaru Basin Sub Division.

In Ariyalur, the water level has risen up in most of the PWD and Rural Development Department controlled tanks and ponds.

According to sources, out of 2,477 tanks, 37 tanks have reached their full capacity as on Monday. The storage in 736 tanks has reached above 75% of their capacity. About 1,200 tanks have 50% water.

Out of 69 PWD tanks, three tanks have attained their full capacity. The storage in Arasanilayathan Kurichankulam tank and Thathanur big tank stood between 91% to 99% on Monday. Ten tanks had more than 80% of their capacity.

Collector P. Ramana Saraswathy told The Hindu that Ponneri near Jayankondam, one of the biggest tanks in the district, had almost reached its capacity. Instructions had been given to the PWD officials to discharge the entire amount of water inflow as a precaution.

S.S. Sivasankar, Minister for Backward Classes, also inspected the Ponneri on Monday.

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