The Water Resources Department (WRD) plans to repair the damaged portions of feeder canal that carries water from Poondi to Red Hills reservoir, which are the city’s primary drinking water sources.
This is for the first time in many years that a major improvement work is proposed to be taken up in the canal. This is one of the five such projects being taken up in Chennai region at a cost of ₹51 crore with assistance from the NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development).
The 21.5-km-long feeder canal branches out at Sirukadal village from the 10.3 km point of the link canal that originates from Poondi reservoir.
While the initial portion of the feeder canal has concrete lining, the stretch between 14.2 km near Morai and 21.5 km near Red Hills is designed as an earthen channel. The unlined channel carries surplus water from waterbodies such as Koilpadagai, Vellanoor and Panayanthangal.
Officials of the WRD said the ₹19.05-crore project aims to provide concrete lining in the remaining portion of the canal, repair the inlets and provide fencing. The inspection track would be repaired. Earlier, only minor maintenance work was carried out in the feeder canal that was built in 1983.
Once the work is completed, Red Hills reservoir will receive the maximum volume of water discharged from other waterbodies upstream. The feeder canal has a carrying capacity of 3,000 cusecs. At present, the water flow is 340 cusecs, an official said. The department is awaiting funds from NABARD and the work will be completed in three months.
Another work proposed is the rejuvenation and increase of storage capacity of Guduvanchery tank in Vandalur taluk at a cost of ₹6.60 crore. The tank would be deepened as part of the project. It receives inflow from its own catchment and waterbodies such as Vallancheri and Thailavaram.
The other schemes that did not need land acquisition includes improvements to Pandalam anicut in Kallakurichi district; construction of flood protection walls in Coleroon North Rajan channel at Omampuliyur village, Kattumannarkoil taluk, Cuddalore district and Middle Paravanar in Bhuvanagiri and Kurinjipadi taluks, Cuddalore district.
In a government order sanctioning these works, it was noted that farmers must be involved in the rehabilitation work which must be documented to avoid complaints.
