The Public Works Department is soon expected to start work on building the remaining portion of the Commandanmedu Anaicut and protection work on the banks of the Thenpennaiar river. The Commandanmedu bed dam on the Thenpennaiar connected villages in Bahour Commune in Puducherry with neighbouring Cuddalore district.
For residents in Cuddalore too, the road provided a considerably shorter route to Puducherry. Besides, the groundwater level in the region had improved after the construction of the dam. However, a portion of the anaicut was left incomplete for several years resulting in surplus water released from the Thenpennaiar going into the sea.
The waters of Thenpnnaiar are shared by Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. In 2007, the two governments had executed an agreement to share the river water at Sornavur Anaicut.
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Foundation stone laid
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Thursday laid the foundation stone for completing the remaining portion of the anicut and protection work, taken up at a cost of ₹4.11 crore.
MLA N. Dhanavelu and Public Works Department Secretary Devesh Singh were present.
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According to a senior PWD official, “the work is expected to contribute in a big way towards improving the groundwater level and recharge the drinking water sources on the riverbed and increase the area under cultivation.” The length of the remaining portion of the anicut would be 40 m and height 1.5 m.
The structure could store about 2.70 million litres of water for a stretch of 2.7 km upstream and ensure continuous wetting of the riverbed to keep the drinking water collector wells alive throughout the year, especially in the summer.
Once completed, the anaicut would irrigate about 980 hectares of land in addition to recharge of groundwater in the villages of Chinna Araichikuppam, Kuruvinatham and Soriyankuppam in Bahour Commune.