Tamil Nadu - Nagercoil

Many temple tanks going to seed

Nagercoil: A cross-section of people in Kanyakumari district here has urged the government to take steps to renovate all temple tanks for the benefit of devotees.

Devotees used to take bath in the tanks to purify themselves before entering the temples as water is considered to be purifier. Moreover the temple tanks were the traditional systems of water storage from ancient times. Most of the tanks were channel fed and almost all the inlets and outlets of the tanks had been either blocked or encroached.

The river and the irrigation networks in the district pass through a variety of terrain to feed the temple tanks and form an unique wetland ecosystem, giving an unique identity to temples of Kanyakumari district.

Initially, devotees used these temple tanks for taking bath. Later these tanks were developed for the purpose of water harvesting, storage and agriculture purpose. This resulted in improving the groundwater availability. These temple tanks store and preserve water from rain, springs, streams and rivulets. But the maintenance and distillation of ponds have been neglected.

These temple tanks had been vital water resources, particularly to the rural population. Some of the tanks were neglected, abandoned or even used to dispose waste. An example is Krishnan Kovil tank in Padmanabhapuram. Hence the Government must take a census of temple tanks and renovate ones that need maintenance under a special scheme, people in this district feel.

Almost all the temple tanks, except for the ones attached to temples which get a good revenue through the Devasom board, are in ruins and under the very threat of extinction (example: Kasi Viswanathar Temple at Vadaserry) owing to nil maintenance, absence of kudimaramathu and large scale encroachment.

‘It is the bounden duty of the government to preserve and renovate temple tanks,” S. Pandaram Pillai, district president of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, said.

The locals used to harvest inland fishing in these tanks and dumped waste as food to the fish thereby polluting the water. Moreover, even as there was restriction to raise lotus plants in the temple tanks, one could see them in a number of tanks. Hence, the government must form a task force headed by the Collector and including representatives of local bodies to renovate all the temple tanks, he said.

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