TIRUCHI
Canals and drainage channels for a total length of about 50.86 km would be cleared of silt under the Chief Minister’s Special Desilting Scheme in Tiruchi district this year at an estimate of ₹1.76 crore.
This will be part of the 392 works sanctioned at a total cost of ₹67.24 crore in the seven districts of Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Ariyalur, Karur and Pudukottai. Twenty of these works would be executed in the Tiruchi district.
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The Public Works Department has begun the works and on Saturday State Ministers Vellamandi N.Natarajan and S.Valarmathi inaugurated the work the Kottai Vaical at Mekkudi in the district. The Kottai Vaical would be desilted for a length of about 3.6 km.
Prominent among the works is the desilting of the Cholagampatti Vari (drain) for a length of about 3 km, sanctioned at an estimate of ₹36 lakhs. The drain passes through Cholagampatti, Thirunedunkulam and Vazhavanthankottai in Tiruverumbur taluk.
The drain runs from Kanthalur reservoir and runs for a total length of about 10 km before draining in Vennar through the Kallanai Canal siphon. Surplus water from various tanks including the Keeranur big tank, Killukotai Big tank, Kannankudi, Thuvakudi and Pazhankanankudi Porani tanks flow in the Cholagampatti drain and feeds Vazhavanthankottai, Mangavanam, Sorakudi, Ayyanar Gurukal and Ponvilanjankudi tanks, benefiting about 1,790 acres of cultivable lands.
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The drain, which is of 50 metres in width, has been silted up at various places resulting in overflows during monsoon. The desilting of the drain and strengthening of its bunds would benefit farmers in the region, Public Works Department officials said.
Apart from these, 16 repair and renovation works on canals would be executed under the kudimaramathu scheme in the district this year at a cost of ₹4.12 crore.