After a gap of 36 years, Kariamanagalam village in Tiruvannamalai district received water in its lake, due to the removal of encroachments by the Water Resources Department.
“When the Kuppanatham dam fills up, the water flows into the Chengam lake. The excess water from this lake has to flow into the Kariamangalam lake, but due to encroachments in the supply channel, this was not happening,” said E. Rajaraman, assistant engineer, PWD, Waters Resource Department.
When the Department was rejuvenating 59 lakes in the district, they started clearing the encroachments in the supply channels too. One such channel was carrying water form Chengam Lake to Kariamangalam lake. “It is a 900-meter channel. Agricultural fields and a road were encroaching upon it. We have started clearing them, and after 36 years, water started flowing through the channel into Kariamangalam lake,” he added.
K. Venkatesh, a village resident, said that more than 500 farmers were struggling as there was no water in the Kariamangalam lake for the past 36 years. “Now we are hopeful that the situation will improve. However more water has to come,” he said.
Sevoor S. Ramachandran, Minister, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department and Sandeep Nanduri, Tiruvannamalai District Collector, offered flowers to the inflowing water in the canal on Friday.
