Rettai Vaickal set to get fresh lease of life

Massive desilting drive launched

Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambi Durai, Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabaskar and Collector K. Govindaraj inspecting the desilting work on Rettai Vaickal in Karur

Rettai vaickal, one of the important channels flowing along the middle of Karur, is all set to get a fresh lease of life with the launching of a massive desilting drive.

The channel that runs parallel to the Amaravathi river was one of the popular irrigation channels in Karur until 20 years ago. Thanks to the unbridled urbanisation, the vaickal turned into a sewerage channel with the discharge of domestic, commercial and industrial waste. Moreover, it had become a major breeding ground for mosquitoes due to dumping of waste, encroachments and poor maintenance.

Now, the vaickal is set to get its original shape with the launch of a desilting drive after a gap of 40 years.

While the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has taken up desilting works for two km up to Andankoil, the municipality has employed its men and machinery to desilt the channel for a distance of 5.5 km from Andankoil to Railway duct in the town limit.

The desilting work, which was originally started with the objective of preventing floods during the monsoon season, has become an important initiative of the district administration in giving a fresh lease of life to the channel. “The entire channel is full of domestic waste, bottles and plastics. I hope the channel will get into its original shape very soon. The cleaning drive will add beauty to the town,” said Collector K. Govindaraj, who monitors the progress of work almost daily.

Stating that the work was received well among the residents, he said encroachments had been noticed at a few locations. They would be removed to ensure free flow of water.

Project Director, DRDA, Kavitha, said awareness would be created to prevent residents from dumping or discharging waste and sewerage into the channel.

P. Ashok Kumar, Commissioner, Karur Municipality, said the surface of the channel was uneven at some points. The surface would be levelled to ensure free flow of water. The desilting work would not only prevent bad stench emanating from the channel but also prevent mosquito breeding to a great extent.