A total of 50 kudimaramathu works will be taken up at an estimated cost of ₹4.5 crore in the district this year, according to Collector T.G. Vinay.
In a press release issued here on Tuesday, he said the district administration had been converging all line departments and local bodies for executing these works.
Other schemes were also included in the Waterbodies Rehabilitation Programme to undertake allied works like construction of culverts, ground-level tanks, widening of supply channels, strengthening of bunds and planting of trees on the tank bunds.
The district administration had so far offered 6.80 lakh cubic metres of alluvial soil removed from waterbodies to farmers. Roughly, 9,070 tractor loads of alluvial soil had been lifted by them, he added.
Three of the 161 tanks coming under the control of panchayats were given each to officials, including panchayat union commissioners, assistant engineers, town panchayat executive officers, assistant director of agriculture, tahsildars, municipal commissioners and other district-level officers for desilting under ‘ My Tank My Pride’ concept.
Already, desilting was over in 44 tanks, Dr. Vinay said, and advised the farmers to utilise the opportunity and enrich the surface soil in their farms.
