A plan to renovate and rejuvenate about 30 water bodies in Thanjavur at an estimate of about ₹26 crore has been drawn up, Collector M.Govinda Rao said here on Wednesday.
“We will soon approach the State government for funds to execute the project, which is planned to be executed with community participation,” Mr.Rao told reporters after inspecting the ongoing renovation works on the Ayyan Kulam in the town.
Currently, the Sivangangai Kulam, Samanthankulam and Ayyan Kulam were being renovated and lake front development was being done. All inlet and drainage channels to and from the ponds would be renovated, he said.
He disclosed than an old inlet channel from Sivagangai Kulam to Ayyan Kulam had been renovated through the efforts of the Thanjavur Corporation and social activists. “The ancient inlet channel had been heavily silted up and has been renovated now. The channel is believed to have been built during the Nayak period; we are collecting more details on it,” Mr.Rao said.
Another old inlet channel to Karunasamykulam too has been restored. “Since Thanjavur is a heritage town, there are many old systems which are still in good shape. We are trying to trace and restore them,” he added. Answering a query, he said encroachments, if any, on the channels would be removed.