High-powered pump sets to prevent inundation of Vellore fort

On an average, the new pump set can discharge 1.2 lakh litres of water per hour

Keeping the northeast monsoon in mind, the Vellore Corporation has procured high-powered pump sets to discharge excess rainwater from the moat of the 16th century fort complex in the coming months.

Last November, the fort complex, especially Jalakanteshwara temple, was flooded for more than a fortnight before the civic body and the PWD laid a trench to discharge water as a stop gap measure. Like the mosque and the parapet wall of the fort, the Shiva temple is a protected monument and maintained by the ASI. “We have gone to the traditional method of using pump sets. The number of new pump sets will be increased depending on the need,” P. Ashok Kumar, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation, told The Hindu.

At present, workers of the civic body were laying pipelines from the moat to the nearby canal. New pump sets are being connected to these pipelines. On an average, the new pump set can discharge 1.2 lakh litres of water per hour. Apart from electricity connection, diesel generators are also kept as a stand-by.  

The existing moat is 29-feet deep and has a circumference of 3 km. Excess rainwater from nearby Suriyakulam lake, Otteri lake, hillocks like Pinchamandai, Kurumalai, Nechimedu, Pallakollai and Vellakalmalai reaches the moat through a series of water channels that were built during the British times.

However, the discharge of excess rainwater from the moat, especially through Nicholson canal and Old Burma Bazaar channels, were blocked due to encroachments. Poor maintenance of sluice gates on the northern end of the fort by the PWD have also resulted in overflow of the moat during monsoon.

Built during the reign of Sadasivadeva Maharaya (1540-1572), a Vijayanagara king, the temple has the typical style of 16th century architecture in the Arcot region with its large wooden gates, sculptures, carved granite pillars and towers.