Thanks to residents, Chola-era Azhagi Kulam gets new lease of life

TIRUCHY: Water from Grand Anicut on Wednesday reached the renovated Chola-era Azhagi Kulam via pipelines bringing joy to Thanjavur residents, who crowdfunded to restore the ancient water body.

Residents led by Thanjavur Mayor Shan Ramanathan gave a ceremonial welcome to the water, which started flowing into the tank.

Sources said that King Raja Raja Cholan had established over 50 irrigation tanks across Thanjavur to ensure adequate water for irrigation and to augment ground water levels. He set up several irrigation canals to fill those tanks. However, in due course of time, due to poor maintenance and encroachments the canals and tanks became unusable for irrigation.

One such tank was Azhagi Kulam, which catered to the requirements of Thanjavur Burma Bazaar area. The abandoned three-acre water body was in a dilapidated condition for the past few decades.

Anguished by its condition, residents from Pampattitheru, Gavaskara Theru and the adjacent areas crowd funded and started renovating the Azhagi Kulam a few years back. They strengthened the retaining walls of the tank and established walkers’ path and planted saplings as part of beautification works around the water body.

After the completion of the works around the tank, the residents appealed to Thanjavur civic body to fill water in the tank. Heeding their request, the Corporation allocated Rs 1.44 crore to carry water and provide streetlights and a children park near the tank. The civic body attempted to fill the tank by laying a pipeline to the length of 1400 feet, but the plan failed and later the Corporation increased the diameter of the pipe and connected it to the GA canal.

“There are around 35 more such tanks in the city and they all will be renovated like Azhagi Kulam,” Mayor Ramanathan said.