Status check: Collector P. Seetharaman inspecting work on plugging the breach in the Paravanar at Thiruvannainallur on Tuesday.
CUDDALORE:
In the recent floods, the Paravanar breached at least at 10 places on its course, submerging the standing paddy crop and inundating habitations.
Collector P. Seetharaman, along with officials and Public Relations Officer Pon. Muthiah, on Tuesday walked three km to reach Thiruvannainallur and Onankuppam, located on the banks of the Parvanar, to inspect the works being undertaken to plug the breaches with sandbags.
The Collector told the accompanying reporters that the river had also breached at Boothangudi, Kalgunam and Adur Agaram. The Water Resource Division of the Public Works Department had taken up the plugging work on a war-footing and all weak spots would be strengthened in three days. The farmers and residents in the area said that the breaches had become a common occurrence during rainy season. Special officer on floods Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who inspected the affected areas in the district recently, observed that the Paravanar, carrying slush-filled water pumped out from the Neyveli lignite mines, caused heavy siltation on its course.
Hence, Mr. Bedi had put the onus on the NLC to clean up the entire river, which is otherwise divided as upper, middle and lower Paravanar for administrative convenience. The overflowing river also damaged Chennai-Kumbamonam road at many points. When the attention of NLC Chairman-cum-Managing Director A.R.Ansari was drawn to the situation, he said that the management had already spent Rs. 8 crore on widening the Paravanar from the mines head to the upper part of the river.
Desiltation of the entire course of the river would involve enormous expenditure and required an extensive study. This time around, the water overflowing from the river had only submerged paddy crops but not caused damage to them. However, he said the condition of the Maruvai stretch of Chennai-Kumbakonam road was really bad.
