On Friday, two drones went airborne over Pulikarai Lake to map and profile a 5-km radius.
The captured signals and data were transmitted to a temporary ground station that was set up.
In what is seen to be a first step to the ambitious Thenpennai irrigation project interconnecting three irrigation schemes drawing on the run-off from River Thenpennai, the administration launched a demonstrative aerial survey for the project.
The drone survey is touted as the first of its kind deployment for a civil use.
With the expertise lent by Anna University and the Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University’s two unmanned aircraft were brought here.The ambitious project envisions three composite interconnecting irrigation schemes, bringing a cumulative area of 3,000 acres under direct and indirect irrigation.
First scheme
The first scheme envisions drawing of water from a check dam in Ennekol Pudur in Krishnagiri, to benefit 22 irrigation tanks along a 60 km distance in Dharmapuri. The Ennekol Pudur project if implemented is expected to bring 1,610 acres under irrigation.
The second is Pulikarai scheme that proposes to interconnect 19 rainfed tanks to irrigate 785 acres.
The third is the Aliyalam scheme that draws water from Thenpennai in Krishnagiri to Kumbalahalli dam in Dharmapuri.
The Kumbalahalli dam was lying neglected due to lack of water. This scheme, if brought to fruition, is slated to bring 332 acres under direct irrigation and 800 acres under indirect irrigation. The drones are being deployed for micro level study to analyse the cost-effectiveness of the project linking three irrigation schemes. The government had allotted Rs. 40 lakh for preliminary survey in the budget. Speaking to The Hindu , Collector K. Vivekanandan said, Rivers Cauvery and Thenpennai are the two water sources for the district.
However, in lieu of Cauvery flowing 250 metres below gradient and is already serving the multi-billion dollar Hogenakkal drinking water project, River Thenpennai is seen as the only option to tap water by gravity for irrigation.
Contour tracking
The unmanned aircraft would map the gradient, land profile, and the survey would explore if water could be used by gravity without pumping. The aerial survey is expected to capture undulations and carry out contour tracking.
Manual survey is a tedious and time-consuming exercise. Use of aerial survey through unmanned aircraft is a venturing attempt, first time for a civil project, says Balasubramani, Executive Engineer, Water Resources Organisation of PWD.
The drones are expected to complete the aerial survey mapping out the parameters within a week’s time.
The drones are being deployed for micro level study to analyse the cost-effectiveness of the project linking three irrigation schemes
