COIMBATORE: The Thirumoorthi Reservoir Project Committee of Parambikulam Aliyar Irrigation Project (PAP), which oversees the irrigation system, has urged the state government to allocate Rs 10 crore annually for desilting canals to ensure water reaches the tail-end areas. They have submitted their petition before the Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister N Anand and the Finance Minister N Marie Wilson.
The committee president, Medical K Paramasivam, said the project irrigates 3,77,152 acres under the Thirumoorthi dam and 44,000 acres under the Aliyar dam, covering 4.25 lakh acres in total in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts.
"134 farmers' associations in the Thirumoorthi basin and 16 in the Aliyar basin manage irrigation through canals under the WRD. While `10 crore was allocated annually between 2016-2021 for desilting, no funds were released between 2021-2025, leading to silted canals and water not reaching the tail-end," the committee said.
It noted that after a representation last year, the previous government had agreed to allocate Rs 10 crore annually, and the amount was released for the previous year, enabling desilting work. For the current year, the committee has requested the same allocation to continue work. The letter also pointed out that desilting under MGNREGA has been inconsistent, as the scheme permits work on a canal only once in three years.
In another letter addressed to the CM, Water Resources Minister, Finance Minister, and senior officials, the committee said several projects under the project remain incomplete, including Anaimalaiyaru and Nallaru projects.
