Minister for Special Programmes Implementation S.P. Velumani said on Saturday that more workers will be deployed to speed up the renovation and repair of the Contour Canal in the Parambikulam - Aliyar Project in order to complete the work by July 25 and release water for farmers on August 1.
After reviewing the work, Mr. Velumani told reporters that the project was proposed in 2005 and alleged that it made slow progress during the previous regime. The work had been divided into three phases and awarded to contractors.
The total project cost is Rs.184.50 crore of which first phase would be at Rs 62.30 crore, Rs 62.20 crore in the second phase and Rs. 62 crore in the third phase.
The PAP was commissioned in 1960. The Contour Canal is 49.3 km long. Water saved in Nirar, Sholayar, Parambikulam and Thoonakadavu reservoirs are let through the Contour Canal to reach Thirumurthy Dam.
The water in the dam irrigates four lakh acres spread over four zones in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts.
The 50-year-old canal had suffered extensive damage due to vagaries of Nature, roots of the trees damaging the retaining walls and frequent incidents of boulders rolling into the canal and damaging.
As a result of the damages and the resultant seepage loss, 30 per cent of the water due for realisation at Thirumurthy was wasted.
Collector M. Karunakaran, MLAs K. Muthukaruppannasamy (Pollachi), M. Arumugam (Valparai), Pollachi MP K. Sugumar, Superintending Engineering Raghunathan and other officials from Water Resources Organisation of Public Works Department accompanied the Minister.
