To refurbish old tail-end sluices and construct new ones
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday unveiled a Rs 1,560-crore project to refurbish old tail-end sluices and construct new ones in the Cauvery delta districts to conserve rainwater during the monsoon and take measures to prevent incursion of sea water into agriculture lands. “Of the total Rs. 1,560 crore, Asian Development Bank will give Rs 1,092 crore as loan and the rest will be contributed by the State government,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said in a suo motu statement in the Assembly.
She said the project would benefit the whole of Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts and 4.50 lakh acres of land in one section of Thanjavur district irrigated by the Cauvery, Vennar and Grant Anicut irrigation canals.
The Chief Minister said the project envisaged the reconstruction of tail-end regulators and the infrastructure connected with them. Besides, more sluices would be constructed in tail-end areas to store the rainwater for irrigation. “By this arrangement, groundwater level will be recharged and the water level in wells will go up,” she said.
“Besides improving drainage in the delta districts, the project will also prevent seepage of sea water into land. The scheme will be implemented immediately on priority basis and will improve drainage in the delta region, the rice bowl of the State,” she said.
Explaining the rationale for conceiving such a mega project, Ms. Jayalalithaa said that in 40 years, the sea level was likely to rise and lead to salt water flowing into agriculture land.
“In some places irrigation will be completely affected. The seepage will change the nature of the groundwater and increase salinity. Sea water is also likely to flow through the drainages in the tail-end areas and prevent the draining of rainwater into the sea,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said.
She said the level of the Cauvery Delta region was on a par with sea level for 25 km and heavy rains during the north-east monsoon tended to severely affect the drainage system.
“As there is no facility to store rainwater, it flows into the sea and it cannot be used during the summer,” she said, adding that there was a need to overcome the situation.
Congress member N.R. Rangarajan expressed the hope that the project entailed construction of check-dams, tail-end regulators and new sluices.
It is a very good project. We should try to preserve as much rain water
as possible by way of harvesting it. Thanks C.M. for the initiative.
She should also advise her party men & officials to construct NEW ponds
in EVERY village by utilising MLA or MP development fund to conserve the
rain water. This will be a boon for women folk in villages, who used to
walk miles to fetch water.
It is a very good project. We should try to preserve as much rain water as possible by way of harvesting it. Thanks C.M. for the initiative. She should also advise her party men & officials to construct NEW ponds in EVERY village by utilising MLA or MP development fund to conserve the rain water. This will be a boon for women folk in villages, who used to walk miles to fetch water.
Whatever little water runs in the deltaic Kaveri gets reduced by the
proliferation of slums. In addition to sand mafia, the slums
contribute to the dirtying of the river where for large stretches blue
lilies have sprung spoiling the flow of the little quantity of water
that runs in it. . What are the local irrigation engineers for? At
this rate, the angered Kaveri will disappear. Not only slums have
cropped up on the embankments, the local municipality has cemented the
embankments for facilitating autorickshaw traffic. . One will
certainly shed tears at looking at this wanton spoiling of the river.
Will the state government look into all these depradations too while
implementing their ploans and programmes.
The measures announced by the TN CM for the improvement of the delta
region of the Kaveri river are welcome. Raising sea levels in the next
few decades have become a real source of worry. Planting mangroves on
the sea coast should be encouraged. Devastation of the coast by
encroachers and commercial interests should be heavily dealt with.
Deltaic Kaveri gets poor supply of water for a large part of the year
because of the over usage of the upper riparian state. It is therefore
very necessary that there is complete conservation of and optimal and
thoughtful utilisation of water.. As a native of the deltaic kaveri
region I am distressed at the way it looks. Callously its embankments
have been used creating slums.. Successive state governments and the
local municipal bodies have to bear responsibility for this. Whatever
little water runs in the deltaic Kaveri gets reduced by the
proliferation of slums. In addition to sand mafia, the slums
contribute to the dirtying of the river.
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