Work on the construction of a reservoir at Viswakudi across Kallar will be completed by September 2014. The reservoir, with an irrigation area of about 859 acres, will have a storage capacity of 30.67 million cubic feet, said Darez Ahmed, District Collector.
While the reservoir is aimed at serving at a peak irrigation capacity of 859 acres in Thondamanthurai and Viswakudi villages, it would provide assured irrigation to 423 acres, the Collector said in a press release. Well-irrigated ayacuts too would increase by 168.50 acres, he said.
Presently, work on the construction of concrete structure for sluices are in progress.
The district has been a forerunner in the area of setting up of farm ponds in the State.
The Collector said that 1,000 farm ponds would be dug up in lands owned by scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, and small and marginal farmers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme.
The District Rural Employment Agency (DRDA) had granted an administrative sanction of Rs.7.08 crore for the project being implemented in a phased manner. Of the 130 farm ponds sanctioned, work on 118 ponds has been completed at an estimate of Rs.83 lakh.
Under the MLA constituency development fund, panchayat funds, and infrastructure gap filling fund schemes, a special plan has been evolved for the construction of new buildings for 83 anganwadis at an estimate of Rs.3.71 crore. Work on construction of 32 buildings had been completed so far at an estimate of Rs.1.47 crore, he said. This apart, steps had been taken to construct own buildings for 57 anganwadis.
About Rs.1.23 crore has been sanctioned for taking up repair and maintenance works on 135 anganwadi buildings.
Entertainment and play materials have also been supplied to 100 select anganwadis under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan at an expenditure of Rs.10 lakh.
Work on the construction of Athur bypass road at an estimate of Rs.11 crore was in progress. So far, 14 culverts had been constructed.
The Collector visited a few places in the district and inspected the progress of the works. Ayyamperumal, Project Director, DRDA, Kanakaraj, Assistant Director of Highways, Veerappan, Assistant Executive Engineer, were present.
