Collector Sajjansingh R. Chavan released water from Poigai dam in Aralvoimozhi village in Thovalai taluk on Saturday for irrigation after a gap of five years.
Collector showered flower petals in the dam marking the release of water for irrigation. A total of 17 cusecs would be released through the water channel for the first 10 days and 25 cusecs for the next 13 days. The released water would benefit farmers belonging to Thovalai taluk in Kanyakumari district and Radhapuram taluk in Tirunelveli district.
Farmers cultivating crops in 242 acres in Thovalai, Chenbagaramanpudur, Aralvoimozhi and Pazhavur villages would get water through water channels and 208.23 acres of land would get water for irrigation through eight ponds along the downstream of the dam fed by the water channel. Another 497.62 acres of land would get water through eight other irrigation system ponds fed by the Poigai river.
The tail-end farmers would be benefited with the release of water from the Poigai dam. Around 28 feet of water was available in the dam on Saturday morning, the full capacity of which was 42 feet.
Former minister N. Thalavai Sundaram, Kanyakumari MLA K.T. Pachaimal and Nagercoil MLA A. Nanjil Monoharan, Executive Engineer (WRO) of PWD S.K. Subramanian, PA to Collector (Agriculture) M. Nizamuddin, Joint Director of Agriculture Department M. Elango were present.
