TIRUCHY: With Mettur dam level inching towards 110ft and one month to go for water release for delta irrigation, officials in the water resources department (WRD) in Tiruchy have submitted a proposal to the state government to remove trees and vegetation in the Cauvery bed obstructing the flow of water, between Musiri and Kallanai, under a special scheme. Once they get the nod, an estimate to undertake the project will be prepared and sent to the state government for funds, officials said.
In a response provided by an assistant executive engineer from the river conservation sub-division of the WRD to an RTI filed by C Yoganathan, president of the Ayyaru River Protection and tanks rejuvenation association, officials said that a proposal has been sent, seeking allocation of the required funds.
Yoganathan said the stretch of the Cauvery bed between Thottiyam and Kallanai has become heavily overgrown with vegetation, severely affecting its natural flow and water-carrying capacity. Once a key source of irrigation and drinking water, the river is now choked by such unchecked growth along its bed, posing a flood risk during the monsoon, he added.
Farmers, particularly those near Musiri, urge the state government to clear the vegetation before water is released from the Mettur dam on the customary date of June 12. They also blame extensive sand mining for the degradation of the river bed.
According to them, miners have left behind uneven, clay-heavy stretches, replacing the river’s natural sandy base with soil that promotes dense vegetation growth.
When enquired about the proposal, a senior WRD official said the preparation of the estimate involves coordination among the WRD, forest and revenue departments. “The process includes estimating the total area on which vegetation should be cleared, and enumerating the number and types of trees growing on the river bed. The enumeration and valuation must be carried out by the forest department. For the trees to be cut down, approval must be obtained from the concerned RDO,” the official added.
Once the funds are sanctioned, cleaning work will be initiated, which will also include the removal of sand dunes and the temporary roads laid on the river bed for sand mining, officials said.
The government usually allocates Rs 5.94 for every sq metre of the stretch to be cleared of vegetation, they added.