Officials to inspect inlet channel to revive Setteri dam neglected for nearly 5 decades

Conveying this to DT Next, Collector MP Sivan Arul said that the joint team would inspect the inlet channel to Setteri dam in Natrampalli taluk within a fortnight after the dense bushes are cleared. The inspection would study the possibility of reviving water supply to the dam.

“The facility built 48 years ago in 1972 has an ayacut of 960 acres spread over 8 village panchayats,” said Setteri resident J Raja. Old timers recalled that the Aadi 18 festival would be celebrated in the reservoir years ago when it had good storage. Former panchayat president of Velakalnatham S Gourammal said, “As officials failed maintain the reservoir, farmers of the region were forced to sink borewells to more than 1,000 feet to irrigate crops.”

The lack of storage in the facility for years together was raised after the introduction of kudimaramathu works in the newly formed district. The facility which has a water spread of nearly 1,000 acres has been totally forgotten by the officials for the past 17 years. What peeved the locals more was the official apathy. “Officials did not care about this reservoir for 17 years and initiated action only when after a petition was sent to the President, Prime Minsiter, CM and other leaders in 2019,” informed former ward member of Velakalnatham village panchayat C Sampath.

In a way to rub salt on the residents’ woes, officials labelled the reservoir as an irrigation tank, whereas the locals term it as a dam. Residents objected to the tank reference vehemently when Commercial Taxes Minister KC Veeramani and officials turned up during the start of the kudimaramathu works.

Sampath said, “We informed the officials that surplus water from the Krishnagiri dam could be routed to this area as then we would not have to rely on bore -wells.”

Differing with the residents’ views, Collector Sivan Arul said, “Getting surplus water from the Krishnagiri dam is impractical as it is 50 metres below the level of the Setteri reservoir. The availability in Krishnagiri dam is also not round the year, it does not warrant the cost involved. In fact, PWD officials stated the same seven years ago, but the residents failed to understand the nuances involved in getting government fund allocation for the project.”