Prince Jebakumar | ENS After completion, the project will be extended to all 14 blocks of the district} DINDIGUL has become the first district in the State to interlink 25 rural tanks, ponds and other waterbodies through a 17.5 km supply channel at Methapatti in R Kombai village panchayat of Gujiliamparai Panchayat Union. This pocket is one among the drought-hit areas in the district and the scheme is being implemented at R Kombai, Vadugambadi, Uliyakottai and Mallapuram panchayats. There are 13 tanks in R Kombai, seven in Vadugambadi, two in Uliya kottai and three in Mallapuram panchayats. A team comprising engineers and experts was formed by the district collector to inspect this 17.5 km stretch of the main gully connecting 25 waterbodies. First, the team studied the channel by using the documents and records created during the British era. These maps were copied and superimposed on the satellite images of that pocket that was created with the help of an open source software programme. Later, the satellite image was superimposed on the map available with the Revenue Department and the missing links were identified. Manual survey was then carried out and the plan to interlink the entire stretch was chalked out and the District Rural Development Authority under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is now car rying out the work. After restoration of the missing links, these 25 tanks would be able to store s over 2,440 cubic feet of water. n As the surplus water would fill the tanks one by one, the e water table is expected to inn crease substantially. e It would also recharge 500 e borewells and 700 open wells and convert 1,750 hectares of barren lands into cultivable n lands. o District Collector M Valh lalar told Express that this project would require 1.44 lakh man-days and was estia mated to cost Rs 1.44 crore. After completion of this e project, the same would be e extended to all 14 blocks of f the district.