Tamil Nadu government to go ahead with Cauvery-Gundar linking

As many as 3,440 acres to be acquired in phase one, says an official from Public Works Department

The State government is going ahead with its decision to link the Cauvery with the Gundar.

As part of this move, it will issue an order shortly for the acquisition of about 3,440 acres of land to take up the first phase of the project of connecting the rivers, according to a senior official of the Public Works Department (PWD).

Totally, around 6,730 acres are required for the project, which will be executed in three phases. Land acquisition is required to form a canal, which will have the capacity to carry 6,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water.

The canal, which will pass through Karur, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts, will be around 250 km long. The diversion will begin through a barrage across the Cauvery in Mayanur village of the Karur district. The canal has been conceived only for diverting the flood or excess water of the Cauvery to Agniyar, South Vellar, Manimuthar, Vaigai and the Gundar, the official explains.

Tentatively, the cost of the first phase, which covers transferring the water from the Cauvery to South Vellar has been estimated to be ₹7,677.00 crore.

However, the official clarifies that the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) is preparing a detailed project report. So, the actual cost will be known only after the DPR is ready.

The proposed link seeks to stabilise the culturable command area (CCA) of around 14,600 hectares, besides bridging the gap in the prevailing CCA of about 5,649 ha. Nearly 20,249 hectares will be benefited due to the proposed link.