Desilting of the bed of Chitrakulam has been going on this past week. The recent rains had encouraged wild vegetation to grow all over here. This effort is made in the hope that water till retain if and when it rains.
But experts like Shekar Raghavan of the Rain Centre say that unless rain-water harvesting is followed by all the households in the areas around this temple tank and this help raise the groundwater level around, water will not be retained in the tank.
This is because hundreds of bore-wells which are sunk in this area by households suck up whatever rainwater that adds to the groundwater and hence, water which falls into or enters the tank will not be retained for long and thus remain dry.
Also, Chennai Corporation must take steps to direct water falling on the four streets around this tank to be filtered and directed into the tank, as it happens in the tank of Sri Kapali Temple. Some residents say that the local MLA must oversee such a project.
The tank is under the management of Sri Adi Kesavaperumal Temple. Many desilting operations have been held here in the past but they only help to clean the tank bed and hence, been wasted efforts.
