Water plant at Thanjavur GH

It will supply 5,000 litres per hour

THANJAVUR: Patients undergoing treatment at the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital and the large number of visitors will henceforth get hundred per cent pure drinking water. A purified drinking water project which functions on reverse osmosis was dedicated to the hospital on Wednesday.

The project has been implemented by the Rotary Club of Thanjavur Kings with a matching grant from Rotary International. The efforts of the Rotary Club for the past five years, has borne fruit now.

G. Ambujam, Medical superintendent of the hospital and N. Govindaraj, district governor of Rotary International district 2980, dedicated the project.

The project purifies bore water from the overhead tank of the hospital using three filters and reverse osmosis membranes. After separating waste water, it supplies pure drinking water of 5,000 litres per hour to the hospital which requires nearly 20,000 to 25,000 litres of water every day. Sixteen outlets will supply water to the wards in the hospital.

According to C. Gunasekaran, Rotary assistant governor, in this matching grant project, Rotary club of Thanjavur Kings, the host club, donated Rs. 1.12 lakh (2,500 US dollars). Co-sponsor club, the Rotary club of Victoria gave an equal grant of 2500 US dollars.

Rotary International has given a grant of 5,000 dollars. In total 10,000 dollars- Rs. 4.5 lakh was spent on the project.

M.S.Asif Ali, assistant Rotary governor, said that it was a dream project taken up by the Rotary club of Thanjavur Kings. He appealed to the hospital authorities to maintain the plant properly. The hospital caters to the needs of patients from nearly eight districts.

AM. Sokkalingam, President of Rotary club of Thanjavur Kings, D. Kannan, Project chairman, participated in the function.

From THE HINDU

PWD takes up work on desilting of rivers, canals

At a cost of Rs.3.77 crore in Thanjavur district

THANJAVUR: With a view to providing flood relief in vulnerable areas and enhancing irrigation in some areas, desilting of rivers and canals has been taken up by the Public Works Department this year at a cost of Rs.3.77 crore in the district.

RELIEF:Desilting in progress in Thanjavur on Saturday. — Photo: M. Srinath.

Works are going on a war-footing at many places. Vazhaipoo drainage at Palli Agraharam is desilted at a cost of Rs.3 lakh. It remained a flood-prone canal as water from various canals like Vettar and Vennar drained into it.

Following an appeal made by people in that area and after having seen the floods last year, Collector M.S. Shanmugham included the canal in the list for desilting. People said that the desilting would provide them flood relief this year. “This is an important work,” they said and thanked the Collector, who saw the works on Saturday.

Yet another important work was desilting of Konakidangalar near Ammanpettai. Branching out from the Cauvery, Konakidangalar runs as an irrigation canal for two km and later turns into a drainage canal running to 22 km via Nemam, Therku Pazhamaneri, Thirukattuppalli, Onpathuveli, Kandamangalam, Varahur, Anthili, Ambathumelnagaram, Kuzhimathur, Vellaprambur, Umayaval Arcot, Keelathirupanthuruthi and Kattukottai. It has an ayacut of 2,988 acres. This area became flood-prone last year. Because of the silt, floodwater could not be drained easily.

Desilting is done at a cost of Rs.3.50 lakh now. The Collector saw this work also on Saturday. Gorikulam canal near Pudupattinam railway bridge here is being desilted at a cost of Rs.3.50 lakh.Residential areas in this area will get flood relief because of the work. People in the area said that the canal had not been desilted for many years.

“The area will remain flood-prone every monsoon and we cannot get out of our houses. This time it may not be so, thanks to the desilting works,” people of Azhagarasan Nagar, beneficiaries of the desilting work told the Collector who saw the work.

He also inspected desilting of Vettar and Jambu Cauvery near Panaveli. The Collector later told presspersons that desilting works to the tune of Rs.2.17 crore had already been completed in the district. Ninety per cent of the works taken up under non-plan scheme at a cost of Rs.1.60 crore had also been completed.

Ten per cent of the works is going on and they will be completed before June-end. In works where agriculture engineering machinery is used, works will continue till water reached that area after release from Mettur dam. Asked his opinion about the works, the Collector said that “PWD has done an extremely good work.”

“Only need based and area specific works were taken up this year. Flood relief is one aim. We identified flood-prone areas in the floods last year and took up works in those areas. Works were taken up on the basis of utility also,” the Collector said.

Besides desilting, repair of shutters, sluices and masonry works have been taken up at a cost of Rs.1.64 crore. Fifty-two works have been taken up. S. Kannan, Executive Engineer, Cauvery division, K. Nehru, Executive Engineer, Vennar division, T. Benthamil Selvan, Executive Engineer, GA canal division, accompanied the Collector during his visit.

From THE HINDU

Thanjavur: Farmers undergo training

THANJAVUR : A group of 40 farmers from Maharajapuram village near Thiruvaiyaru were given training on pulses production under “Pulses productivity enhancement and stabilisation in Cauvery delta zone” by the Soil and Water Management Research Institute (SWMRI) here recently.

B. Chandrasekaran, Professor and Head of SWMRI said that India has the largest acreage and production of pulses accounting for 37 per cent of the area and 27 per cent of the world’s production. The production of pulses has increased in a relatively slower rate than desired in the last two decades. The prospects of import of pulses not being bright, the domestic demand will have to be met by increasing production of pulses. In India productivity of pulses is low because of several constraints.

He outlined various technologies which can be adopted by farmers to increase pulses production in the delta zone. S. Vallal Kannan, Assistant Professor, (Agronomy demonstrated the management strategies for water and weed management in pulses. K. Parameswari, Assistant Professor, (Seed science and technology) gave an overview of quality seed production in pulses and demonstrated the technique of designer seeds in pulses. S. Suganya, Assistant Professor, (Soil science and agricultural chemistry) briefed the nutrient management practices and soil analysis techniques. Farmers interacted with scientists and got their doubts cleared.

V.G. Mathirajan, Assistant Professor, (Entomology) explained about the various pest management techniques. An exposure visit to National Pulses Research Centre at Vamban in Pudukottai district was organised, said a press release issued by SWMRI here on Monday.

From THE HINDU

Take up cultivation of crops in time

THANJAVUR: Tamil Nadu Government has taken up various irrigation projects in Thanjavur district for the benefit of farmers, said S. S. Palanimanickam, Union Minister of State for Finance, here on Monday.

Inaugurating the construction of a grade wall across the Kodamuruti river for ensuring assured supply of water to Serumakkanallur and Chakkarapalli canals where still level has become higher than the bed level of the Kodamuruty river at Ayyampettai in Papanasam taluk, the minister said that renovation of Grand Anicut canal, Vadavar extension scheme and Kollidam river schemes were examples for the importance given by Government for irrigation development in Thanjavur district.

Now the construction of a grade wall across the Kodamuruti is taken up at a cost of Rs. 4.02 crores. The fund is provided by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). When implemented, the two canals (Serumakkanallur and Chakkarapalli) will get assured water supply and nearly 1,847 acres of ayacut will benefit. Six villages (Serumakkanallur, Sarabojirajapuram, Chakkarapalli, Soolamangalam Endam Sethi, Vazhuthur and Regunathapuram) will get full benefit from the project. The minister asked the Public Works Department engineers to finish the project in time so that the farmers could get the benefit this year itself.

M.S.Shanmugham, Collector, appealed to the farmers to take up cultivation of crops in time and set a crop pattern. This would help in crop management. This year four lakh tonnes of paddy had been procured in the district. Desilting of canals had been taken up in the district at a cost of Rs. four crores during this summer and work was going on.

T. Ravikumar, Assistant General Manager, NABARD, said the bank had created Rural Infrastructure Development Fund with an allotment Rs. 12,000 crores in 1995-96 for taking up rural development projects. The fund was increased to Rs. 1,22,218 crores. For Tamil Nadu alone, a sum of Rs. 1,000 crores had been allotted for the year 2009-10. To achieve 10 per cent of economic growth in the eleventh year plan period, investment to the tune of 7 to eight per cent should be done in infrastructure development. Infrastructure development is very much necessary for economic development, Ravikumar said. Moorthy, Chief Engineer, PWD, Asokan, Executive Engineer, Cauvery division, PWD and others participated in the meeting.

From THE HINDU

Thanjavur: Heavy rain in many places

THANJAVUR: Heavy rain lashed Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Friday night. The continuous spell for more than three hours at many places brought respite to people from a scorching summer.

Thanjavur recorded the maximum of 130 mm of rainfall followed by Grand Anicut which recorded 65.4 mm. Rainfall recorded at various places till 8 a.m. on Saturday (in mm):

Thirukattupalli 62, Tiruvarur 54.2, Papanasam 28.2, Kumbakonam 12, Valangaiman 32, Kodavasal 18.6, Nannilam 10.3, Lower Anicut 25, Needamangalam 34.2, Neyvasal Thenpathi 35, Mannargudi 37.4, Thiruthuraipoondi 44.6, Tiruvarur 31.4, Peravurani 42.8, Orathanadu 25.6 and Budalur 50.8.

From THE HINDU