CHENNAI: In an effort to save the Cauvery delta - the Granary of Tamil Nadu, from the future effects of climatic changes, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa recently announced a massive scheme at a cost of `1,560 crore. This will prevent sea water intrusion into the delta areas along the coastal districts. It will also be beneficial for storing flood water for irrigation during the summer.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide `1,092 crore as loan while the state government would provide `498 crore for this project, she said in the Assembly. It would be taken up for execution on a priority basis and would be completed in next five years, she assured. A total of 4.50 lakh acres in the districts of Tiruvaur, Nagapattinam and Thanjavur would be benefited by the project.
Rebuilding old sluice gates and infrastructure related to them in the delta areas, setting up of more gates to store flood waters for irrigation, increasing the water level in the wells through artificial re-charge method and prevention of intrusion of sea water would be the key aspects of this scheme, the CM had said.