The district administration had expedited desilting of tanks and supply channels, and flood preventive measures in different parts of the district ahead of the rainy season. Public Works Department and panchayat administrations were advised to complete the works before the commencement of the rainy season, said Collector T.G. Vinay.
Inspecting desilting work carried out in a channel in Nilakottai block on Wednesday, he said it was high time to increase storage capacity of rural tanks, irrigation tanks and supply channels not only to prevent possible flooding but also to recharge groundwater table and save rainwater to the maximum level.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme workers were deployed to remove weeds and unwanted plants that had grown in the supply channels. Village panchayats had been carrying out infrastructure development works at villages to divert rainwater to nearby waterbodies. PWD engineers had accorded top priority to detecting weak bunds and places where soil accumulated in the channels, he said.
The Collector also asked Block Development Officers to dump silt on the outer side of the bunds of waterbodies and channels.
Later, Dr. Vinay inspected tanks and supply channels at Pallapatti, Kullalagundu, Silukuvarpatti and Malayagoundenpatti in Nilakottai block and Viruveedu, Karattupatti and Vathalpatti in Batlagundu block.
At present, local body administrations have taken up desilting of 4.65-km- long Agaram tank supply channel, 3.5-km-long Kulamasi tank channel, 1-km-long Ponnankulam supply channel, 7.6-km-long Kullalagundu and Thappakulam supply channels, 5-km-long Eramankulam supply channel at Malayangoundepatti panchayat and 1.6-km-long Mannavarathi tank channel in Silukuvarpatti panchayat.
