The volunteers of Kovai Kulangal Pathukaapu Amaippu, a youth movement renovating waterbodies in and around Coimbatore have petitioned District Collector T. N. Hariharan to expeditiously remove the encroachments occurring in Rajavaikkal, the main feeder channel to sprawling Vellaloor tank.
The members of the youth organization. which has been engaged in renovating the Vellaloor tank said in a meeting convened on March 23rd by the District collector, which was attended by the top officials of PWD, Slum clearance, Coimbatore Corporation, District Revenue Officer, Pollution control Board it was decided to complete the Biometric work to facilitate Tamilnadu Slum Clearance board to allocate tenements to people living on encroached lands before April end. It was also said that that the Public Works Department will clear the encroachments at check dam in Raja vaikaal before the first week of May. But none of the works have been completed yet.
As the South-west monsoon would set in on June 1st, it is imperative that all encroachments get removed to facilitate easy flow of rain water which would lead to achieving good storage in Vellaloor tank. Praying to the district administration to expedite the removal of encroachments, the volunteers of the forum also noted that a shutter which was removed in the Ukkadam feeder channel has also not been not replaced, affecting the water flow to the Ukkadam tank.