Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Breach in channel: No need for alarm

S. Ganesan

It is being plugged by Public Works Department

DAMAGE CONTROL: PWD workers plugging the minor breach on the Kallam vari near Punganur in the city outskirts on Monday. — Photo: M. Moorthy

TIRUCHI: The minor breach on the Kallam vari, a drainage channel of the Punganur tank, which caused inundation of some paddy fields and a few low-lying residential colonies on Sunday was being plugged by the Public Works Department on Monday.

The inundation caused by the surplus flow from tanks in the Manikandam region proved to be just a scare as the waters receded quickly in the absence of heavy rain.

Nearly 25 tanks in the region, including the Manikandam Big and Small tanks, Senkurichi, Panchapur and Pirattiyur tanks, have reached their full capacity following heavy rain. The surplus from some of these tanks flowed into the Koraiyar on Sunday. However, a majority of the 112 tanks under the PWD Ariyar Division have received only a moderate flow.

The surplus flow from the Punganur tank in the Kallam vari caused the inundation of Dheeran Nagar and paddy fields near Punganur. On Monday, PWD officials deployed workers to remove weed growth on the drainage. Sandbags were also used to plug the minor breach on the drain.

The problems posed by encroachments on drainages was to the fore yet again as the Kallam vari had shrunk drastically to just about 15 to 20 ft., from its original width of 100 ft.

Meanwhile, the flow in the Ariyar and Koraiyur also came down drastically in the absence of further rain.

The surplus discharge from the tanks into the rivers had forced the PWD authorities to remove the `turfing' on the Puthur weir in the city so as to ensure that the water drained into the Kudamuritti.

PWD officials on Monday allayed any fears of further inundation. With the discharge from the Mettur being negligible, only the rainwater from catchment areas was flowing into the Cauvery.

The realisation at Upper Anaicut (Mukkombu) was around 12,000 cusecs on Monday evening. Though this was expected to increase slightly, there was no cause for alarm, officials said.

Prevention scheme

PWD officials are taking steps to get the approval for financial assistance from the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) for implementing a Rs.295-crore flood prevention scheme.

Estimates for the phase I, envisaging the strengthening of and improvements to Koraiyar, Ariyar and Kudamuritti rivers at an estimated cost of Rs.77 crore, is to be forwarded for approval.

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