CHENNAI: To enhance water holding capacity of dams across Tamil Nadu, the Public Works Department will prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to desilt dams and the exercise will be taken up after the monsoon, official sources said.
This comes after Central Water Commission (CWC) launched remote sensing based assessment of the base of the storage capacity besides undertaking hydrographic survey of the reservoirs.
A Water Resource Department official said a DPR is likely to be prepared soon to undertake the activity. The State had earlier raised the issue of siltation in the dams and sought CWC guidance in carrying out desilting operations in the dams.
Sources said the State had already started bathymetric survey to desilt Mettur, Vaigai, Pechiparai, Srivaikundam and Amravati dams. However, a detailed project report is yet to be prepared.
Most of the States have been failing to provide sufficient budgets for maintenance and repair of dams. Many States also lack the institutional and technical capacities for addressing dam safety issues.