Officials of the Public Works Department should meet the Cauvery delta farmers from Mettur to Poompuhar to ascertain their needs before drawing up the details of the ‘Maha Cauvery Renovation Scheme,’ the Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association has said.
The scheme should not be given shape in a hurry and a detailed project report should be drawn up after meeting farmers of the delta region, Mahadanapuram V.Rajaram, working president of the association, said in a statement.
Expressing happiness over the Central Water Commission’s in-principle nod for funding the project to renovate and strengthen the infrastructure of the Cauvery irrigation system in the delta districts, Mr.Rajaram said that it was made possible through the strenuous efforts of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The PWD officials had the onerous task of implementing the work required for every kilometre of the 300-km-long stretch for which they should meet farmers of the region.
The PWD Minister, K.V.Ramalingam, had announced in the Assembly on April 18 that the government had sent a Rs.11,420-crore project to improve and rehabilitate irrigation systems in the Cauvery basin to the Central Water Commission for in-principle approval.
The scheme envisages construction of grade walls in Thanjavur district at a cost of Rs.68.55 crore to maintain the bed level of rivers and maintain water supply to channels.
The Vadavar extension canal in Mannargudi taluk would be renovated at a cost of Rs.23 crore. Construction of a retaining wall at Tirumangalakudi and a bed dam in Swamimalai across the Cauvery, along with renovation of the head sluice at Nagakudi, would be completed at a cost of Rs.2.65 crore. A sum of Rs.2.9 crore would be spent on various works in Nagapattinam district. A regulator would be constructed at a cost of Rs.3 crore in Tiruthuraipoondi taluk to prevent intrusion of sea water.
