Siruthuli, the NGO, announced today that they will soon begin desilting the Sennanur Kuttai, which is spread over about 20 acres of land at the foothills of the Western Ghats, on the south west side of Sennanur village. Work is expected to end before the monsoons.

In the past, Siruthuli has desilted several water bodies, including the three Kuttais (ponds) – Malligai Kuttai, Vadivelampalayam Kuttai, and Nadhegoundenpudur Kuttai – in Alandurai and Pooluvapatty Panchayats.

Malligai Kuttai, which is spread over 12-acres of land before desilting, had a capacity to generate 100 million litres of water. But, after the desilting work, the pond has started generating 200 million litres of water. Vadivelampaalayam Kuttai’s capacity to generate water doubled from 50 million litres to 100 million litres after desilting. Naadhegoundanpudhur Kuttai, after desilting, now generates about 150 million litres of water. Prior to desilting, the Kuttai generated just 50 million litres of water.

Local residents depend on water from these ponds for agriculture. The chain-like connected tanks and the irrigation tanks of south India are symbols of an ancient and advanced tradition of harnessing rainfall and the water from the stream for agriculture. The advent of large-scale water storage and energized systems, however, has left these simple and efficient methods of local efforts and community management by the wayside.