The Vellore Corporation has finalised a plan to rejuvenate three major irrigation tanks, including the British-era Otteri lake, Palavansathu lake, and Velapadi lake at a cost of ₹50 crore to store excess rainwater during monsoon.

Officials of Vellore Corporation, which maintains three water bodies, said that regular rain in catchment areas like Palamathi, Kolavimedu, and Naickaneri tribal hamlets in Jawadhu Hills in October had gradually increased water level in these lakes. “These lakes remain a key local water source for the civic body. Rejuvenation of these lakes will help store more rainwater to meet water needs during summer. A detailed report has been sent to the State government for its nod before commencing work,” R. Lakshmanan, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation, told The Hindu.

Spread over 92 acres, Otteri lake, which has a depth of around 40 ft, was built in 1904 to provide regular water supply to British troops stationed inside Vellore fort. Pipelines and Over Head Tanks (OHTs) were made to supply water from the lake to the officers’ quarters inside the spacious fort complex. The lake has a total storage capacity of 19 MLD (millions of liters per day).

The other two lakes are smaller in size and capacity. The Palavansathu and Velapadi lakes, which are located downstream of Otteri lake, covers around 30 acres each. In terms of storage capacity, these two lakes have a storage capacity of around 8-9 MLD each. “Water in the lakes are used to irrigate farmlands in surrounding villages. Local bodies have borewells around the bund of the lakes to draw water for consumption,” said R. Sabari, a farmer. 

Corporation officials said that as part of rejuvenation, water channels between hamlets in surrounding hills and lakes will be desilted and cleaned. The water channels were built many decades before to tap excess rainwater from the hills to the plains. The water channels cover a distance of two km. Broken channels on the route will be rebuilt to prevent water seepage during monsoon.

The work also includes removal of accumulated silt deposits in the lake. On an average, around 45 centimeters of silt get deposited in the lake area every year. Most of the silt deposits are that of dry vegetation, animal wastes and grit from the hills that are washed off during rain.

Rejuvenation of the lakes will help in an increase of 5.5 MLD storage capacity. In other words, additional storage capacity will help cover the needs of at least five wards in the civic body.

Corporation officials said that at present, the total water demand of the civic body is 83 MLD per day. Of this, 63 MLD of water is supplied by Tamil Nadu Water supply And Drainage Board (TWAD). The rejuvenation of lakes will help the civic body reduce its dependence on TWAD, especially during summer.