Residents of Villupuram and three villages restore waterways supplied to eight tanks
The 22-km water channel has come to life after 45 years thanks to the residents of Villupuram and three villages.
Starting from the zero point of Thenpennier at Thalimedu, the Villupuram channel led to eight reservoirs, helping to recharge the groundwater level and meet the drinking water requirements of Villupuram city. The water bodies are Villupuram Periya Eri, Puthu Eri, Sitheri, Virattikuppam Eri, Maruthur Eri, Ayyankovilpattu Eri, Vazhuthureddy Eri and Thattampalayam Eri.
But the channel lost its glory in 2003 after the Villupuram-Chennai National Highway was four-laned, due to garbage dumping, encroachment due to agricultural activities and the closure of a portion of the channel. Instead of building a culvert, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) closed the channel near the western end of Villupuram, thus stopping the flow from Thenpanier to Periya Eri. Then, debris and silt filled the channel.
Since 2015, the city was grappling with a severe water shortage. Eight reservoirs remained dry due to lack of maintenance of canals, while other reservoirs in the district were filled with water. It was then that a group of residents of Villupuram and Nannadu, Viratikuppam and Alathur stepped in. “We found that the Villupuram channel had once drained 22 km and recharged eight large water bodies spread over 900 acres. But a large part of the channel was encroached upon and covered with debris and was on the verge of extinction,” says Ra. Panchamurthy, Member of Villupuram Channel Committee.
“A WhatsApp group of youths from Villupuram and three villages was formed. The group decided to de-silt the channels and inlets to streamline the flow of the eight tanks. In 2018, residents volunteered to do manual work, while others contributed money for the first phase of restoration,” he says.
“Locals cleaned up the waste, strengthened embankments and did other works to increase storage. Though the channel received about 20% of the flow from Thenpennier, it stopped after a few days,” said Mr. Panchamurthy. Nevertheless, the youth continued their efforts and in 2019 restored the channel to a distance of 16 km. His dream became a reality, and the channel received a bountiful influx from Thenpennier, reaching 65% of its carrying capacity.
According to T. Dakshinamurthy, a resident of Nannadu, “The Water Resources Department joined the efforts and sanctioned Rs 35 lakh under the ‘Kudimaramathu’ scheme in 2020.”
Thereafter, villagers and residents of Villupuram found that the channel had to be restored another 6 km from Nannadu to Villupuram town and approached the district administration for help. Collector D. Mohan inspected the channel and promised to give them the amount. However, villagers raised ₹8.54 lakh through crowdfunding and reinstated the last portion of the channel.
The channel is back on the district’s water map. The villagers’ efforts have helped raise the groundwater table, and irrigate 250 acres of farmland around eight reservoirs.
,