Dredging work to deepen the Uppanar canal leading to the sea mouth began at Vambakeerapalayam on Saturday. The Port Department has awarded the dredging contract to a private firm for dredging 90,000 cubic metres to be completed in three months at a cost of Rs.2 crore.
Bolstering the shoreline
Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy and AIADMK MLA A. Anbalagan inaugurated the dredging work formally at Vambakeerapalayam. Officials said the sand slurry sucked up by the dredger ship will be let out on the northern side of the port-mouth.
The sand will be used to bolster the shoreline on the north side and check sea erosion.
The dredger sucks the sand from shallow water area and discharges the slurry to the north of mouth through pipes running through several metres. The current depth of the mouth and the channel is less than 0.5 metres.
