Desilt water bodies before monsoon to prevent rainwater waste: plea to Tirunelveli admin

The Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi has submitted a petition to the Tirunelveli district administration urging it to desilt all irrigation channels and water bodies ahead of the northeast monsoon, which typically begins in October. The party said this would help store surplus rainwater that currently flows into the sea.

In a petition presented to District Collector Anand Mohan on Monday, the outfit's district secretary Nellai Nizam said the northeast monsoon brings good rainfall to Tirunelveli district every year, particularly to the Papanasam, Servalar, and Manimuthar dams that are crucial for agriculture in the region.

The petition requests officials of the Water Resources Department to desilt all systemised irrigation tanks, rain-fed tanks, associated irrigation channels, and other water bodies before the onset of the monsoon. It also asks that canals feeding both systemised and non-systemised water bodies be desilted to ensure maximum storage of rainwater.

Apart from the desilting demand, the petition highlighted several local civic issues. The VST Junction in Melapalayam on the Palayamkottai–Ambasamudram Highway witnesses traffic congestion every day. The party has suggested creating a traffic island at this junction to ease congestion and prevent accidents.

The petition also raised concerns about a liquor shop located on North Mount Road near Nainarkulam. It said the shop is causing problems for the public, especially women and children, and is creating law and order issues. The group has requested that the shop be shifted to an isolated location.

Tirunelveli Corporation councillor S. Nithiya Balaiah of Ward 52 submitted a separate petition seeking a road to connect the gasifier crematorium in his ward with the Nagercoil highway. At present, a narrow road through Xavier Colony connects the crematorium to the highway. The councillor said flowers and garlands thrown from funeral processions often land inside houses along this narrow stretch, causing unrest in the residential area. A direct road would ensure peaceful funeral processions.

In another petition, a group of villagers requested the desilting of Vellaalankulam, a rain-fed tank under the control of the Water Resources Organisation in Palayamkottai. This tank supports over 350 acres of farmland. The villagers said neither the tank nor the canals bringing rainwater to it have been desilted for several decades, and they urged the administration to take immediate action.

The district administration has not yet issued a response to these petitions. The requests underline the importance of preparing water infrastructure well before the northeast monsoon to maximise storage and address civic grievances in time.