The State Government has submitted a proposal to Central Government for taking up flood protection works in the Coleroon river in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts at a cost of Rs 375.90 crore.
The proposal was submitted following heavy floods in river in 2005 which caused damages to embankments and breaches in many places. The proposed works will be taken up on sites located along the Coleroon in Tiruchi, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts.
A team of Central Water Commission (CWC) comprising S.K.Chaudhry, Chief Engineer, Flood Management, and C.Lal, Director, inspected the northern bank of the river at Vazhkai village, one of the project sites, on Saturday as part of techno-economical examination of the proposal.
Mr.Lal told The Hindu that they had come to assess the criticality of the project.
“We have come here to review the efficacy of the project and report to Government about its priority and usefulness to people,” he said. As per the proposal the Central Government is to contribute 75 per cent of the project cost and the state Government the rest.
Though the maximum discharging capacity of the river was 4,50,000 cusecs, it has been reduced considerably owing to heavy siltation, irregular surface flow, erosion and sliding of banks in many places.
193 villages
The project aims at minimising the flood damages and providing protection to 193 villages in Thiruvaiyaru, Papanasam, Kumbakonam, and Thiruvidamaruthur taluks in Thanjavur district. The proposed scheme is likely to benefit an area of 253091 hectares.
M.Bhakthavachalam, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department (PWD), Mayiladuthurai, S.Selvaraj, EE, Chidambaram, V.Selvaraj, Sub-Divisional Officer, Kumbakonam and P.Periyasamy, SDO, Anaickarai accompanied the CWC officials.
