Avilala Cheruvu tank to turn herbal park

Tirupati: With the state government’s decision to be announced soon, the ancient Avilala Cheruvu dug by the famous emperor Sri-krishnadevaraya 500 years back for  supplying water for cultivation as well as for drinking water purposes is now going to  become a medicinal plants park.

 

Earlier, the tank had ayacut of 287 acres had one sluice. As of today there is no ayacut under tank to irrigate due to urbanisation and layouts formed indiscriminately near the tank. 

 

But this tank can act as a percolation tank which increases the ground water table which is badly needed in the present drought conditions.

 

As against the Supreme Court orders issued in 2006 which says any water body should not be transformed into pa-rks, layouts etc (suggesting that the water body should be left as it is) the TUDA officials sent proposals to the state government to construct a medicinal plant park on 150 acres and percolation tank in only 32 acres in 182 acres of theCheruvu area.

 

Condemning the proposals of TUDA, some socially conscious people comprising lawyers, engineers, professors, doctors, political parties including ruling TD, so-cial activists formed a ‘Avilala Cheruvu Sadhana committee’(ACSC) and have taken steps to create awareness among the public of Tirupati and surrounding areas about the importance of protecting the tank.

 

Recently the committee started 1. 08 lakh signature campaign in which all political parties have expressed their su-pport against constructing a park in the tank. 

 

In view of the prevailing tremendous water scarcity in Tirupati and surrounding areas, this tank should be rejuven-ated by constructing ta-nk bund which can be converted with either percolation tank or summer storagetank by supplying water from Kandaleru reservoir which surely can help to incre-ase ground water table of the wells surrounding the tank said ACSC convener T. Janardhan.

 

The tank bund was destroyed for organising AICC plenary meetings in1992 and later in 2008 for politician turned actor Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam party formation celebrations.