Tiruchi: Proposal to create additional facilities at Grand Anicut

THANJAVUR: Public Works Department (PWD) has sent a proposal to the Central Government for developing Grand Anicut with museum and other facilities at a cost of Rs. 6.90 crores.

The proposal includes beautification of Grand Anicut Canal running across Thanjavur from Irwin bridge to Nagai Road.

Official sources told “The Hindu” that the proposal was sent on October one, 2009.

The proposal titled “Development of Kallanai (Grand Anicut) under Government of India scheme,” envisaged construction of a museum with a ground floor, first floor and second floor at a cost of Rs. 2.43 crores out of the total amount.

The ground floor will be raised with high ceiling and an aquarium.

The second floor will have a viewpoint with telescopic arrangement so that the people can see the entire Grand Anicut.

The museum will depict the meandering of the Cauvery from Coorg i.e., Thalai Cauvery till it reached the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar.

Theme park

A children’s theme park, water sports and adventure sports will be added to the existing park.

Construction of wayside public conveniences and basic amenities will be taken up under the scheme.

Walk ways will be provided on the Vennar right bank and Cauvery lift bank.

Amenities will be provided for people to take holy dip in the Cauvery.

Bathing ghats and fleet of steps will be built with aesthetic look like the ones at Somnath Temple at Gujarath. This will be done at a cost of Rs. 87 lakhs.

Beautification of Grand Anicut canal in Thanjavur will be taken up from Irwin Bridge to Nagai Road at a cost of Rs. 1.50 crores.

Walk ways

Walk ways will be provided on both the banks of Grand Anicut in the stretch.

Proposals for converting Vennar Vettar head near Thirukattupalli have been sent to the Government.

G. Srinivasan – From THE HINDU

NCC cadets take out rally to save Cauvery

For a cause: Air Wing cadets taking out a rally in Tiruchi - Photo: M. Moorthy

TIRUCHI: NCC Air Wing cadets from various city schools and colleges took out a rally here on Wednesday as a campaign to save river Cauvery from pollution.

The ‘Save Cauvery River Rally’ was flagged off by R. Chandrasekaran, Headmaster, Srirangam Boys Higher Secondary School at the Amma Mandapam bathing ghat in Srirangam.

Around 100 Junior Division and Senior Division NCC cadets participated in the rally that was taken out via Gandhi Road to the Srirangam Boys Higher Secondary School.

Pamphlets distributed

The cadets distributed pamphlets to the public containing messages to save the river.Earlier, they undertook a cleaning operation at the Amma Mandapam bathing ghat area and appealed to the public to keep the river free from pollution.

Wing Commander M.S. Rao, Commanding Officer, 3 TN Air Squadron (Tech) NCC, Tiruchi and Associate NCC officers of schools and colleges participated.

From THE HINDU

Take up selfless service to humanity

TIRUCHI: The Rotaract District Organisation conducted a district Rotaract team training seminar in the city recently. M. Elangovan, former Rotary governor and District Rotary Foundation Chairman, inaugurated the seminar.

Service-oriented:I.Samuel Christdoss, Rotaract District adviser, interacting with the members at the district level training camp in Tiruchi.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Elangovan explained the role of Rotary International’s Global Network Service, which catered to the desperate needs of the world like hunger, health, water, sanitation, literacy in addition to polio eradication. He urged the Rotaract leaders to take up selfless service to the humanity and strengthen the hands of Rotary Foundation.

M. Muruganandam, District Rotaract Committee Chairman, explained the current status of the district, the conditions of the Rotaract Clubs in the community and in the colleges and the ways to strengthen the network of clubs to create a greater impact on all sections of the society through their service projects.

S. H. Afroze, district regional coordinator of the Rotaract Clubs, brought out the need to equip themselves with leadership values so that they can be role models to take the leadership positions. I. Samuel Christdoss, Rotaract district advisor, presented a road map for the young minds to pick up the thread and become young leaders with clear-cut plan of action.

R. M. Rekha, District Rotaract Representative and M. Rajagoopal, district secretary, offered felicitations. A total of 32 Rotaract leaders from 29 Rotaract Clubs of eight revenue districts of Tiruchi, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Karur, Pudukottai, Madurai, Dindigul and Theni participated in the training seminar.

From THE HINDU

Green cover of the Tiruchi city should be improved

TIRUCHI: The Federation of Welfare Organisations of Tiruchi has appealed to the State Transport Minister K.N. Nehru to initiate steps for improving the green cover in the city by planting saplings along the roadsides.

Representation

In a representation to the Minister, the federation coordinator N. Ramakrishnan welcomed the various development programmes planned in the city under the Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Project.

Expressing confidence that the city would sport a new look once the proposals were executed, Mr.Ramakrishnan however stressed the need for increasing the city’s green cover too.

Felling of trees

Over the past couple of decades, a large number of trees have been felled in the city.

5,000 saplings

Efforts should be taken to plant about 5,000 saplings in the city to compensate for the loss of green cover, he said.

From THE HINDU

Tiruchi: Reservoir work likely to commence this year

TIRUCHI: Estimates for the Viswakudi reservoir sanctioned at a cost of Rs.19 crore in Perambalur district has been forwarded to the government and the work on the project is expected to commence this financial year. The reservoir to be built across the Kallar River, between Pachamalai and Sengamalai, in Thondamanthurai village would fulfil a long felt need of the people of the Veppanthattai taluk.

The reservoir would help stabilise irrigation in an area of about 2,478 acres apart from contributing to a substantial improvement in the water table in the surrounding villages, M. Paneerselvam, Executive Engineer, Plan Formulation Division, Public Works Department, Tiruchi, told ‘The Hindu.’ The reservoir would harness the water flow from the hills during the monsoon. The reservoir, to be built with financial assistance from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of the NABARD, would have a water storage capacity of 31 million cubic feet and two sluices. The water spread area would be about 43 acres and the storage height of the reservoir would be 9.5 metres. The reservoir would have an “uncontrolled weir” running for about 44 metres allowing for automatic flow of water once it was filled. The total length of the earthen bund around the reservoir would be about 615 metres. New irrigation channels would be created for a total length of about 4,100 metres.

Work on the project is expected to begin once the design approval and other formalities were completed, Mr. Paneerselvam said.

By S.Ganesan From THE HINDU