A tank of solutions

DAY IN and day out we hear about the need for rain water harvesting and water conservation. Various methods to store rain water in our homes, offices and other public places are being suggested. Most people seem to have forgotten the system that had existed for centuries to store storm water.

It is in this context that the efforts of the Rotary Club of Chennai, to renovate the centuries-old Chithrakulam Temple Tank at Mylapore and make it usable to store storm water, gain significance.

The tank, originally called "Chandra Pushkarani," belongs to the Adikesava Perumal temple at Mylapore, which had been in existence for centuries.

According to legend, Chandra (Moon,) who incurred the wrath of Jupiter (Guru), was cursed. The former was relieved of the curse by bathing in the temple tank, (then known as Sarva Theertham) and worshipping Adikesava Perumal.

According to some residents in the locality, the temple tank was also known as Sukra Pushkarani.

Sukracharya, the guru of Asuras, who lost vision in one of his eyes, bathed in the tank and did penance here to regain eyesight.

Whether it was Chandra Pushkarani or Sukra Pushkarani, how these names were changed to Chithira Pushkarani or Chithirakulam remains unknown. The tank fell into disuse due to neglect and had also shrunk in size due to encroachments on all sides.

The Government turned a blind eye to complaints by the devout public in this regard.

But due to their persistent efforts, the AIADMK Government began renovation work on December 2, 1995 at a cost of Rs. 12 lakhs. Earlier in 1990, the Jana Kalyan movement under the direction of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the Kanchi Sankaracharya, undertook desilting of the tank.

The DMK too in its poll promise assured the residents of Mylapore that the tank would be restored to its past glory.

After the DMK victory in 1996, renovation was restarted. The tank was cleaned up but there was no further progress, according to the residents. But the officials dispute this vehemently as they claim that a sum of Rs. 5.35 lakhs of the estimated amount of Rs. 12 lakhs had been spent on desilting the tank and building the walls.

The residents of the area, who formed a welfare association, finally appealed to the Rotary Club which stepped in a big way and did some concrete work. They dug up the tank bed up to sand level and built the wall to retain the steps.

A new well of four feet diameter had also been dug up on the North-East corner of the tank to know the water level. The Club had spent Rs. 10 lakhs and if there are good rains for one or two seasons, the tank would be full of water, according to Mr. V. Ganesan, member of the special project committee of the club.

"We have dug up the tank up to the level of storm water drains which existed in the past and the Chennai Corporation has to see to it that water flows through them. The ball is now in the Corporation's court," he says.

According to Mr. T. S. N. Rao, official of the Adikesava Perumal Devasthanam, the tank used to be full of water in the past and the float festival used to be conducted till 1974.

Will the tank be allowed to be filled with water to conduct the float festival again -- if not this year, at least in the coming years? The question remains to be answered.

T. A. SRINIVASAN

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Section  : Southern States
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