CHENNAI: With a view to saving the State from drought in future and putting in place an elaborate infrastructure for water harvesting and conservation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday announced mega projects worth Rs 1,000 crore for water conservation and creation/renovation of water bodies.
Making several announcements in the Assembly after a debate on the demands for grants to PWD-Buildings and Irrigation- and Highways departments, he said Rs 1,000 crore would be spent in the next three years for projects to replenish ground water, constructing supply channels to ferry water to lakes from rivers, constructing bed level retaining wall, creating dams and check dams.
“In the current year, dams in 10 places, check dams in 75 places and bed level retaining walls will be constructed at a cost of Rs 350 crore,” he told the House.
A new lake would be created across Kattodai at Kanakkampalayam in Erode district at a cost of Rs 65 crore and a percolation pond is proposed to be constructed across Kannimar stream at Vedasandur in Dindigul district, he said.
Assessment works for certain new projects, including linking of Sathanur dam to Seyyar (Rs 35 lakh), Pennaiyar (Nedungal dam) -Palar (Rs 70 lakh for environment impact assessment), Koraiyar reservoir (Rs 25 lakh) and construction of tail-end regulators to check intrusion of sea water (Rs 10 lakh) would be made.
A slew of water bodies and reservoir renovation projects were also announced. Notable among them is the renovation of low level sluice (no.5) and repairing the 16 gate Ellis Saddle Surplus Sluice in Mettur Stanley Reservoir. The government has earmaked Rs 97.50 lakh for the works.
Repair/renovation works at Poondi Sathyamurthysagar Reservoir and Grand Anicut in Thanjavur are also proposed to be taken up.
Velachery lake’s renovation
Palaniswami said renovation of the Velachery lake in Chennai would be taken up at a cost of Rs 25 crore. As many as eight lakes falling under Sarabanga Sub-basin in Omalur Taluk in Salem district would be given an uplift and seven ground water recharging wells would be done at a cost of Rs 15 crore.
Govt to press for CMB in SC
Referring to Cauvery river water sharing row, he said that the government would press for formation of the Cauvery Management Board when the case comes up for hearing in the Supreme Court on July 11.
He said the government had earmarked Rs 250 crore for Avinasi-Athikadavu irrigation scheme for the current year and detailed investigation works were on.