Water was released for irrigation for the third consecutive year from Aathupalayam dam, located at Karvazhi village near K. Paramathi in Karur district, on Monday.
The reservoir has an ayacut of 19,480 acres. Minister for Electricity V. Senthil Balaji opened the sluices and showered flowers on the water flowing from the reservoir along with Collector T. Prabhu Shankar, MLAs R.Ilango and K. Sivagama Sundari, Rural Development and Revenue officials and farmers.
The dam, which was inaugurated in 1992, was constructed to harness surplus flood waters in the Noyyal river and the water draining from the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP). However, down the years, the Aathupalayam dam became a repository of polluted water and sludge carried by the Noyyal river from the dyeing and bleaching factories from Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts.
Following a court order, the dam was not opened for 18 years. In 2019, water was released from Aathupalayam dam after a court case was withdrawn and after analyses of samples found that the Total Dissolved Solids level was well within the permitted level.
Water has been released from the dam this year too as it reached its full storage capacity of 235.52 million cubic feet (mcft) and was getting an inflow of about 50 cusecs. Farmers in Anjur, Thukkachi, Karvazhi, Thennilai, Munnur, Athipalayam, Kuppam, Punnam, Manmangalam, Vettamangalam, Punjai Pugalur, Punjai Thottakurichi, Athur, Punjai Kadambakurichi, Kuppuchipalayam, Minnampalli, Kathaparai and Panjamadevi would benefit from the water release. Mr. Balaji appealed to the farmers to take full advantage of the water release and raise a good crop this season.
The Minister said several major development schemes have been sanctioned for the district within the short duration of five months since the DMK returned to power. These include sanction for establishing a government agricultural college, checks dams across Cauvery and Amaravathi, two barrages and a 200-acre SIPCOT industrial estate.
Assistant Executive Engineer (in-charge), Lower Bhavani Basin Sub Division, Subramanian and other officials were present.
