Soak pits built under MGNREGS stop water stagnation, drive to cover all Jawadhu hill hamlets

The district administration plans to cover all the 279 villages in the Jawadhu hills under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to reduce mosquito breeding and provide clean water.

The scheme initiated by Collector KS Kandasamy, was organised by District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) project director P Jayasudha. In the first set of project, 1,200 households under the Kovilur panchayat were covered, according to project officials.

The model consists of a 3-ft-deep pit filled with brick pieces, sand, rubble and charcoal and covered with a cement lid. “When located near stagnant water or near a water source, it easily absorbs water which undergoes anaerobic process, resulting in the water being cleaned before it goes underground. Two sample soak pits were first built for the public to understand its benefits,” an official said.

The scheme presently covers Jamunamarudur and Vallikottai hamlets of Kovilur panchayat. “Earlier water used to stagnate near the place where we washed clothes and vessels and bathed, but now the area is dry,” said Vellachi of Kovilur.

Echoing similar sentiments, Malliga and Jayaraman of Jamaunamarudur said, “We were initially sceptical until the engineer showed us how it worked. We are glad that it helps solve our problems.” Kuppu and Chinnayan of Vallikottai hamlet said, “The project was finished in 17 days and the area gets dry within a short time.”

The sources said that each family took 17 days to complete a soak pit and the cost is estimated to be Rs 8,500 per soak pit, in which the amount for materials goes to the trader while the beneficiary’s portion is remitted directly to their bank accounts, thereby avoiding middlemen. Till date, the administration has spent nearly Rs 1.5 crore for constructing 1,200 soak pits and more are expected to be completed.