The World Bank has agreed to extendthe Rs 2,816 crore water bodies restoration projects in TamilNadu by 18 months, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa informed thestate Assembly today.
Making a suo motu statement, she said the state hadsubmitted the proposal to the World Bank for extending theTamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and waterBodies Restoration and Management Project (TN-IAMWARM) fromApril 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014.
TN-IAMWARM was introduced in 2005 with financial aid fromWorld Bank to restore water bodies in the state to benefit6.69 lakh hectares of cultivable land. So far under theproject, work on restoring 4,910 lakes, 662 dams and 8,071km long canals has been taken up and are nearing completion.
Since government wanted to add some more water bodies thisyear, it sought extension of the project period.
"This year 310 lakes, 63 anicuts and channels in 26 subbasin framework in 17 districts will be restored at a cost ofRs 258.73 crore and their capacity increased," she said.