Work to rejuvenate Gufrabad irrigation tank in Vellore commences

After decades, work to rejuvenate Gufrabad irrigation tank that comes under Pernambut Panchayat Union, one of the driest regions in Vellore district , commenced on Tuesday.

Officials of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which executes the work, said that regular rain in catchment areas inside Gudalapalli Reserve Forest (RF) during Northeast monsoon would help increase water level in the tank.

“The Gufrabad tank is a key water source for domestic consumption and irrigation purposes in the region. Desilting of the tank will help store excess rainwater from nearby hills. The entire desilting work will be completed in a month,” S. Krithika, Assistant Engineer (AE), DRDA (Pernambut), told The Hindu.

Spread over 32 acres, Gufrabad tank was one of the oldest irrigation tanks built by the British during the late 19th century. Of the total 10 minor irrigation tanks in the area along the border, this is the largest facility in terms of storage capacity and area.

DRDA officials said that as part of rejuvenation, accumulated silt deposits in the lake will be removed. On an average, around 45 centimeters of silt get deposited in the lake area every year.

The water channel from the forests runs 1.2 km to discharge excess rainwater into the irrigation tank. Along with three other minor water channels, the channel from the forests will be cleaned and desilted to prevent seepage of rainwater during monsoon.

Most of the silt deposits are dry vegetation, animal wastes, and grit from the hills that are washed down during rains. Accumulated silt will be removed for storage of excess rainwater in the lake, which was rejuvenated many years ago.

During monsoon, excess rainwater from the lake is discharged into stormwater drains and small waterbodies such as ponds and streams before joining Palar River. DRDA officials said that the irrigation tank was a lifeline for 12 farming villages, including D.D. Mottur, Kamalapuram, Serraikaranpatti, Pusikarapatti, and Gufrabad.

For farmers, the tank helps irrigate at least 250 acres of agricultural lands where paddy, groundnuts and banana are cultivated. More than 14 borewells around the tank were constructed by surrounding panchayats to draw water for consumption.