NAGAPATTINAM/MAYILADUTHURAI: Desilting of irrigation channels and drains under the PWD’s special scheme commenced in the coastal delta districts, on Saturday. Channels running to a length of around 1,050 km in the districts of Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai would be desilted by the PWD-WRD over the next month in 79 works taken up at a cost of about Rs 12 crore.
In Mayiladuthurai, channels running to a length of 749.7 km would be desilted at a cost of Rs 8.06 crore ahead of the Cauvery water release from the Mettur dam this year. A total of 69 machines would be deployed for 51 works. WRD’s Cauvery Basin division in Mayiladuthurai will undertake 49 works while the remaining two works would be completed by the Cauvery Basin division in Thanjavur.
In Nagapattinam, around 301.1 km of channels would be desilted at a cost of Rs 3.97 crore this year. A total of 45 machines would be deployed for undertaking 28 works. WRD’s Vennar Basin division in Tiruvarur will undertake 19 works while the remaining nine works would be completed by the Cauvery Basin division in Thanjavur.
"For each work, we have framed councils comprising stakeholders such as farmers, officials and elected representatives to monitor the progress. All the work would be completed by the end of May or at least by June 10. We would be able to distribute the Cauvery water through channels on time," said a senior WRD official.
Officials said they are not taking up any work in the river this year and added that they will repair regulator shutters and strengthen bunds under a different scheme. Meanwhile, farmers demanded the works in other channels under ‘C’ and ‘D’ categories to also be completed in time.