After a gap of several decades, farmers in Athoor block are in a jubilant mood as the Public Works Engineers have started desilting the main channel that irrigates more than 800 acres of land in double cropping area and feeds three tanks in Athoor block under ‘kudimaramathu’ scheme.
Inspecting the work at Athoor dam near here on Friday, PWD Sub-Divisional Officer R. Thamizhselvan said that the work had been taken up jointly by the PWD and Athoor Pattadhar Association at an estimated cost of ₹. 6.8 lakh. Pattadhar had contributed 10 per cent of the project cost.
Of the 6.5-km long channel, the PWD had taken up desilting work in 3.4-km long stretch only. Already, it had laid a concrete apron on 3.1-km long stretch under the MGNREG scheme.
The width of the channel bed would be expanded to 3.5 metres and its carrying capacity increased to 198 cusecs. The excess flow from Athoor check dam would be diverted through this channel. The entire flow in the channel would reach Karunkulam. Surplus water of Karunkulam would recharge Pagadaikulam and later fill Pulvettikulam that irrigated more than 680 acres in Athoor block, he added.
Poor inflow
With accumulation of silt and rapid growth of weeds and seemai karuvelam, flow in the channel was poor and inflow into the tank was also scaled down. Desilting would eliminate this problem, said L. Thangaiah, president, Athoor Ayacut Pattadhar Sangam.
One filling of these tanks would suffice to raise two crops.
“Earlier, we had harvested paddy twice a year. With dip in rainfall and change in climate, we could raise paddy as the first crop and blackgram or gingelley as second crop. With no water in the tank, we could not raise even a single crop,” worried M. Moulana, secretary of the association.
The PWD had taken up 44 tanks for desilting under ‘kudimaramathu’ scheme at an estimated cost of ₹.1.29 crore.
Work was in full swing in almost all channels, said PWD officials.
