TIRUCHY: Even as the water from the Cauvery was released from the Mettur dam on Monday, desilting works are nearing completion in delta districts. Sources said it may take more than 10 days for the water to enter the core delta region and officials are positive that they can comfortably complete the desilting works before that.
In Tiruchy, collector M Pradeep Kumar said 99% of desilting works in 375 km canals have been completed. “We expect the water to reach Tiruchy on June 16 and before that all the work will be over.” In Thanjavur, 99 % of the desilting work taken up on 1,068 km of canals has been completed. In the Thiruvarur district, 1,000 km canal desilting work has been completed.
PWD-WRD completed desilting works in canals running 301 km in Nagapattinam and 749 km in Mayiladuthurai. In channels that are under the control of the agricultural engineering department, 60 % of 305 km in Mayiladuthurai and 65% of 258 km in Nagapattinam have been desilted.
Likewise, the rural development department said desilting work in interior channels has been completed 40 % in Mayiladuthurai and 60 % in Nagapattinam. “We will complete the work before the water arrives in the tail-end of the delta region,” officials said.