The Water Resources Department started work to construct a check dam with regulator across Sholingur branch channel near Parabayangarapuram village located about 40 km upstream of Poondi reservoir.
The ₹8.46 crore project is aimed at recharging groundwater table in the neighbouring villages. A rise in groundwater table in open wells and bore wells would help irrigate nearly 120-hectare lands and also ensure better availability of drinking water to the residents.
Handlooms and Textiles Minister R.Gandhi inaugurated the project in the presence of Tiruttani MLA S.Chandran and WRD’s Kosasthalaiyar basin division executive engineer C.Pothupani Thilagam.
Officials of the WRD said the Sholingur channel in Tiruvallur district branches off from the East Main canal that originates from Ponnai dam in Vellore district. This channel runs for 12.73 km and drained into the Sholingur tank. The surplus water of Sholingur tank joins Ayaneri tank and then Nandi and Nagari river near Ramapuram and Ilupur that are located upstream of Poondi reservoir.
Constructing a regulator in the village falling under R.K.Pet taluk would also boost storage in the tanks in surrounding places. The structure would be built across the 31 metre-long channel for a height of 1.4 metre, officials said.
“We would be able to enrich water table in villages like Nagakuppam, Parabayangarapuram, Krishnakuppam, Sengalam and Chettivaripalli. The regulator would be used to feed floodwater from the channel to tanks in Misrakandapuram and Channurmallavaram apart from boosting agriculture,” said an official.
The Sholingur channel would be desilted and its banks would be strengthened as part of the project. The project would be completed in six months before the onset of the north-east monsoon. This is one of the projects to conserve resources in areas upstream of Poondi reservoir, which is a major waterbody feeding drinking water to Chennai. Inflow from various waterways and lakes in the upstream join Poondi reservoir and drain into the sea through Kosasthalaiyar river.
