Concerted efforts by students and local residents has led to the restoration of Sri Santhanaramaswamy Temple tank at Needamangalam.
The tank, which used to get filled with water pumped out from borewells as well as through the storm water drains, remained out of reach for the locals as major portion of its steps leading to the water remained under the cover of thick wild growth.
The compound wall on all four sides too remained poorly maintained.
Further, non-biodegradable wastes had found their way into the waterbody, which remained uncared for about nearly 15 years, according to the founder, Green Needa Environmental Trust (GNET), M. Rajavelu.
Thus GNET decided to bring back the waterbody for public use with the support of the Tiruvarur District Water Resources Protection Federation and mobilised support from like minded associations.
The move received positive response from the civic body, Fire Service Department, Traders Association and from the Higher Secondary and Matriculation schools at Needamangalam apart from a host of social service organisations at Needamangalam.
Like minded associations in far off places such as Mannargudi and Vaduvur in Tiruvarur district had also extended their support to the project.
On Sunday, a team of volunteers entered the tank, with the Fire Service personnel waiting on the bank to come to the rescue of volunteers in case of any emergency and cleared the weeds from the tank steps. They also removed plastic and other waste materials floating in the water.
The compound walls on all the four sides were also white washed, Rajavelu said.