Desilting works that have been taken up on irrigation and drainage canals in the Cauvery delta and neighbouring districts will be completed in time and farmers can go ahead with preparatory works to take up kuruvai paddy cultivation, Sandeep Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department, said here on Thursday.
“We will ensure that water for irrigation is available for farmers in time. There will be no delay in executing the works. Quality will also be ensured,” Mr. Saxena told reporters after reviewing the progress of ongoing works in Tiruchi, Karur and Ariyalur districts and inspecting a couple of works in Tiruchi.
He pointed out out that 589 works have been taken up at a total cost of ₹62.90 crore to remove silt deposits in irrigation and drainage canals for a total length of 3,859 km in the Cauvery delta. In the middle Cauvery basin in Tiruchi, Karur and Ariyalur districts, 106 works covering a total length of 347 km have been sanctioned.
After finalising the tenders, the contracts were issued towards the end of May and works were under way on a rapid pace in all places. The progress of works were being closely monitored. “We have drawn up a schedule and the progress is monitored not only by PWD officials but also the respective Collectors and senior IAS officers nominated as monitoring officers,” Mr. Saxena said.
Already farmers in parts of the delta have taken up cultivation on 78,000 acres and mat nurseries have been raised on another 4,000 acres. “Farmers (in other parts of the delta) can go ahead with their preparations for raising kuruvai. We will ensure the water reaches in time,” he said.
Answering a query on complaints over desilting of canals in tail-end areas, Mr. Saxena said that complaints, if any, can be taken up with the respective Collectors or brought to his notice. “We will monitor and act upon them immediately,” he added.
Earlier, Mr. Saxena reviewed the progress of works with Collectors of Tiruchi, Karur and Ariyalur districts. He also inspected the on-going works at Paravan Odai at Pullampadi in Lalgudi taluk and the Kattar at Anna Nagar in Tiruverumbur Taluk in Tiruchi district.
S. Sivarasu, Collector, Tiruchi, S. Ramamoorthy, Chief Engineer, PWD, Tiruchi, S. Thiruvettaiselvam, Superintending Engineer, PWD, Tiruchi, and other PWD officials accompanied Mr. Saxena.
