Contractors and architects to restore water body in Coimbatore

A water body spread over 4.3 acres at Saravanampatti will soon wear a new look as works commenced on Wednesday to restore it.

At present, Vannar Kuttai, the water body at Saravanampatti, is in a poor condition with garbage dumped in it, weeds covering the storage area, and water not reaching it.

The Coimbatore Builders and Contractors Association (CEBACA) has taken up the work jointly with Kousika Neerkarangal and the Coimbatore centre of the Indian Institute of Architects.

A river in the Kongu region, which once fostered a civilisation, has gone dry

CT Narayanan, chartered president of CEBACA, said the plan is to execute the project in phases at a total cost of more than ₹1 crore. There are discussions to explore the possibility of implementing it under the Namakku Namme scheme too. In the first phase, the lake will be desilted and the bund strengthened. In the second phase, saplings will be planted along the bund and in the final phase, walking track and parks will be developed so that the public can use it.

“We will do the basic work now and see if water reaches it. It may take a year or so to complete all the works,” he added.

Kousika Neerkarangal is coordinating the project and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds will be invested, he added.

R.V. Ramani, founder and Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Foundation India, and Ashok Bakthavathsalam, founder and Managing Director of KG Information Systems, flagged off the restoration works.