COIMBATORE: Siruthuli, a public initiative to conserve water resources in Coimbatore, will take up its first project near Chennai in March under the Namakku Naame Thittam. It has de-silted eight tanks in Coimbatore city and is into the restoration of River Noyyal here.

Siruthuli will now team up with soft drink firm Coca-Cola to de-silt a 1000-acre tank at Nemam village in Tiruvallur district near Chennai.

“Coca-Cola, which has a plant in the village, will contribute Rs.50 lakh for the Rs.1 crore project as part of its corporate-social responsibility,” Managing Trustee of Siruthuli Vanitha Mohan told presspersons here on Wednesday.

“The district administration will provide the balance Rs.50 lakh under the Namakku Naame Thittam,” she said.

The tank was being used mainly for irrigation of about 6,000 acres.

But, the water holding capacity of the tank was reduced by heavy inflow of silt during the North-East Monsoon.

Its orginal capacity was nearly 300 million cubic feet. Silt and encroachment by brick kilns had reduced the capacity to 150 mcft.

The project intended to improve the capacity to at least 250 mcft.

A damaged surplus weir and sluices would be replaced and bunds would be strengthened.

Purpose

Asked whether water from the tank would be used for producing soft drinks, Ms. Mohan said: “We have made it very clear to Coca-Cola that water from the tank shall not be used for this purpose. It has to benefit the farmers and other villagers,” she said.

Courtesy - Hindu