Liquor Mafia Illegally opens Bund

According to farmers, 500 acres of agricultural land submerged; PWD files police complaint, plugs the gap.
Liquor Mafia Illegally opens Bund

PUDUCHERRY: The anaicut of the Ponniyar river has been illegally cut open to an extent of around five metres as a result of which  135 million cubic feet of water was diverted at Komadanmedu near Bahour on the Puducherry-Cuddalore border last night.

A complaint in this regard has been lodged by PWD AE (Irrigation) at Bahour police station, seeking action against those responsible for the act.

The reason behind this act is that the bund on the river was used as a pathway to two arrack shops. With heavy and continual rains, the pathway got submerged and the excess flow from the river, said farmers.

The arrack shops at Archikuppam and Kumandemu lost business particularly from residents from villages in Cuddalore district, as they were unable to reach the arrack shops, sources said.

The check dam is seven metres high and one km wide near the Puducherry-Cuddalore bridge. It serves for irrigation as well as groundwater recharge. Due to rains, the water-level  stored in the check dam, which has a capacity 195 cubic feet, increased and then overflowed.

The illegal demolition has then led to submersion of crops in around 500 acres, farmers said. The PWD has thereby set right the problem and closed the bund.

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