Health Minister M.R.K.Panneerselvam speaking at a function held at Vallambadugai near Chidambaram to inaugurate the work on strengthening of the left bank of the Kollidam, on Sunday.
CUDDALORE:
As part of permanent flood control measures in Cuddalore district, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam inaugurated the work on strengthening the left bank of the Kollidam, to be executed at a cost of Rs. 108.48 crore, at Vallambadugai near Chidambaram, on Sunday.
He said the left bank would be strengthened to a total distance of 60 km, starting from the Lower Anicut (Anaikkarai at Thiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur district) to Chinnakaramedu in Chidambaram block, Cuddalore district, where the river meets the Bay of Bengal. The work would be completed by March 2012. The cost of the project would be shared by the Central and State governments in the ratio of 75:25. Mr. Pannerselvam also said that the river could carry a maximum of 4.5 lakh cusecs of water during rainy season. However, owing to heavy silt formation in the river bed, the banks used to breach during floods, affecting several villages on its course, causing huge loss to crops, habitations and killing cattle heads.
Therefore, it had been decided to take up permanent flood control measures along the river. Originally, two estimates were prepared for the purpose - one by the Chennai regional office of the Water Resources Department to reinforce the left bank at a cost of Rs. 108.48 crore and another by the Tiruchi division - for firming up the right bank at a cost of Rs. 267.42 crore. On the suggestions of the Central Water Commission that vetted the estimates, the Centre agreed to execute it as a single project (by combining the work on the left and right banks) at a total cost of Rs. 375.90 crore. The work on the left bank had started and tender process for the work on the right bank would begin soon. Mr. Panneerselvam said a huge volume of soil, 47.69 lakh cubic metres, would be required for strengthening the left bank alone.
The soil would be extracted from the following water sources:
Veeranam tank – 12.25 lakh cubic metres,
Naraikkal eri – 13.56 lakh cubic metres,
Ponneri (Ariyalur) – 5.87 lakh cubic metres and
Ponneri (Chidambaram) 7.012 lakh cubic metres.
By removing the soil, the aggregate holding capacity of these water sources could be increased by 0.18 tmcft which, in turn, would help to irrigate an additional 7,400 ha in Kattumannarkoil and Chidambaram blocks. It would also save 53,360 ha of cultivable lands, residents, property, including cattle heads, in as many as 36 villages from recurring floods. Since a permanent tar road would be laid on the left bank, it would help in the economic improvement of the region, the Minister said.
S. Jayaraman, engineer-in-chief, S. Kumaresan, chief engineer (planning), T. Anbalagan, chief engineer, Water Resource Organisation, Chennai, S. Natarajan, District Revenue Officer, and MLA D. Ravikumar were present.
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