Veeranam tank goes dry

The tank in Cuddalore is in need of attention.

CUDDALORE: 

             The Veeranam tank located at Kattumannarkoil in Cuddalore district has gone dry, exposing the vast stretch of clay soil. It reveals a thick layer of siltat covering the entire tank bed, reducing its water-holding capacity.

              It had been stated earlier that the tank bed would be deepened by 1.5 feet for which a sum of Rs. 16 crore had been earmarked. However, only a few earthmovers had been pressed into service, that too on the periphery of the tank, sources said. According to K.V. Elankeeran of the Vettuvaikkal-Naraikkal Eri Paasana Vivasayigal Sangam, deployment of only a handful of earthmovers would take a long time to complete the task.

                   The soil thus scooped out of the tank bed was supposed to be utilised for raising and strengthening the banks of the Kollidam as part of flood control measures. Mr. Elankeeran expressed the opinion that the deepening work ought to be expedited or else it would be stalled by the southwest monsoon. The delayed execution would also affect the exercise of firming up the banks of the Kollidam, he added.

           The maximum height of water in the tank was said to be 47.5 ft, but in reality, it would be much less. Therefore, he had sent a telegram to the Public Works Department stating that it was the time the officials carried out a survey to assess the real capacity of the tank. The heavy siltat had confounded the water managers as well as ayacutdars about the holding capacity of the tank. As of now, about 48,000 acres benefited in the catchment areas of the tank.

             After completion of the deepening work, the ayacut area could be considerably expanded, and, therefore, a survey would enable scientific planning and utilisation of the scarce resource, Mr. Elankeeran added.

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Concrete houses sought for flood-hit families

CUDDALORE: 

           Kattumannarkoil constituency MLA D. Ravikumar has called upon the State government to provide concrete houses under the Kalaignar Housing Scheme to the deserving families which have lost their huts in the floods.

          In a representation handed over to Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during his visit here on Monday, Mr. Ravikumar said that the entire Cuddalore district, particularly villages in the Kattumannarkoil Assembly constituency, suffered extensive damage to crops and houses.

          Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's announcement of Rs. 5,000 solatium to damaged houses had come as a consolation to the affected people. However, the MLA demanded a compensation of Rs. 15,000 per hectare of crop losses. Mr. Ravikumar also urged the government to distribute textbooks and uniform to students in the marooned areas, compensation to artisans and fishermen who had lost their livelihood for about a fortnight at a stretch and provide 30 days' work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to farm labourers.

            He suggested strengthening of the banks of the Velliangal Odai, the Old Kollidam and the Manavaikkal.

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Barrages, check-dams in Cuddalore sought

CUDDALORE: 

          Vice-president of Cauvery Delta Farm Producers' Welfare Association and president of Kollidam-Keelanai Paasana Vivasayigal Sangam K.V. Kannan said it was time permanent flood control measures were put in place in Cuddalore district.

         In a representation addressed to Collector P. Seetharaman, he suggested construction of barrages and check-dams at regular intervals across rivers such as the Kollidam, the Gedilam, the Vellar, the Then Pennaiyar and the Manimutharu. Particularly, the Kollidam, which used to carry large quantum of water, needed at least seven barrages, each to be built at a height of 7.5 metre with protective walls on either side stretching to a distance of five km. Already, the Cauvery system had four such barrages, with three more under construction. This system too required nine more barrages.

Heavily silted

          Mr. Kannan also said that the Ponneri, popularly known as Chola Gangam, near Gangaikonda Cholapuram, was heavily silted. So, it used to get filled quickly and the excesses were flowing through the Karuvattu Odai to the Vadavar and then into the Veeranam tank. If the Karuvattu Odai flow was directed to the Kollidam, the flood problem in this region could be tackled.

           The Veeranam tank and the Ponneri should also be deepened and bunds strengthened. A regulator should be set up on the Velliangal Odai which carries discharge from the Veeranam tank at Kumaratchi. At the time of floods, the flow should be directed through a drainage channel (to be dug at this point) to Keezhparuthikudi to join the Kollidam. Another channel from Manavaikkal to the Kollidam via Udaiyur would also mitigate the flood problem. Mr. Kannan said that if these measures were implemented Kattumannarkoil and Chidambaram taluks could be protected from floods on a permanent basis.

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Work on strengthening Kollidam bank begins

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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Panel to monitor water supply

CUDDALORE:

              In a statement released here on Saturday, Collector P. Seetharaman said that a committee consisting of officials from the Public Works and Agriculture Departments and farmers' representatives had been constituted to monitor and regulate water supply for irrigation.

              Mr. Seetharaman said that as on Saturday, the outflow in the Vadavar was 1,172 cusecs, the Kollidam North Rajan Canal – 173 cusecs and the Vellar Rajan Canal – 270 cusecs. On Mondays the officials would review the supply position with the farmers, he added.

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