Two small check dams at watershed points in Sanangkupam village, near Ambur town, in Tirupattur were damaged on Saturday, after a group of people allegedly laid a road illegally to provide easy access to a private stone quarry at the foot of a hillock near the village.
Residents said Sanangkupam was a farming village with at least 2,000 hectares under paddy and groundnut cultivation. Water from the damaged check dams were their major source of irrigation. The excess rainwater from the check dams fills up a few lakes and ponds in the areas before flowing into the Palar.
“The check dams help us save excess rainwater from the hillock and nearby drains to irrigate agricultural lands in several villages. They also help recharge groundwater. Severe action must be taken against those who damaged them,” said K. Muglian, a farmer.
Based on alerts from residents, revenue officials led by S. Kumari, Tahsildar (Ambur), stopped the work as the quarry owners had not received permission from the district administration to lay the around 1-km road between the quarry and Sanangkupam village. As the existing route to reach Ambur town via the level crossing runs for 5 km, officials said the illegal road was laid as a shortcut.
By the time Ms. Kumari and the officials arrived for their inspection, over 40 trees along the check dams had been uprooted. Officials said the check dams were built under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) in 2017-18 by the District Rural Development Agency(DRDA) in the undivided Vellore district as part of water conservation efforts.
“The road is illegal as no permission has been given. Damage to the check dams will be assessed. Surveyors will measure the extent of road laid on Monday as most of the land on the route belongs to the Revenue Department,” Ms. Kumari told The Hindu.
