CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project will soon begin work on revamping 341 tanks, 67 anicuts and 11 canals across the state at an outlay of Rs 461 crore. The World Bank will provide 70% of the project funds as loan, while the state government will bear the remaining 30%.
A senior official in the Water Resources Department told TNIE that the tanks and anicuts under Palaru, Cheyyaru Cauvery, Periyar and other river basins will be taken up for renovation under the scheme. After submitting a detailed project report, a government order was issued for the task.
The official stated that the Water Resource Department (WRD) would execute the task in a couple of phases. In the first phase, a few tanks and anicuts in Cauvery and Cheyyaru basins have been identified for renovation. WRD has sent the proposal for funds through the central water resources authority to the World Bank. Once the funds are received, the work will begin.
The Federation of Cauvery Delta Farmers Association president KV Elankeeran welcomed the initiative and urged the government to focus on constructing small check dams that would help store more water.
The identified tanks for irrigation would be desilted from the upper to the lower portion for easy water flow. “In the Cauvery belt, vandal sand must be removed from Mettur Dam up to 7ft, and irrigation canals have to be cleaned and widened up to the tail end to ensure water supply to all farmers,” Elankeeran added.