The clean stretch of the Cooum in Tiruvallur district will soon get another check dam. The foundation stone was laid to build the storage structure at Adigathur falling under Kadambathur block on Friday.
Located 60 km from Chennai, the stretch of the Cooum remains unpolluted and caters to the drinking water needs of the neighbouring villages. Tiruvallur Collector Alby John Varghese laid the foundation stone for the ₹17.70-crore project. Tiruvallur MLA V.G. Rajendran was present.
The check dam will come up across the 200-metre wide river with a height of 1.5 metre. According to Water Resources Department, nearly 50 million cubic feet of water will be conserved at the check dam. It will help replenish the water table in the surrounding villages.
The storage structure will benefit Egattur, Adigathur, Selai, Thandalam and Kadambathur villages. The rise in water table in open wells and bore wells will support irrigation of nearly 540 acres of lands and cater to drinking water needs of residents and cattle.
The Cooum has several check dams at Putlur, Pudhumavilangai and Korattur in the upstream portion to save floodwater. The project may be completed before the onset of the northeast monsoon this year.
Water Resources Department officials, including Kosasthalaiyar basin division executive engineer C. Pothupani Thilagam and assistant executive engineer M.P. Sathyanarayanan, were present.
