TIRUCHY: Rs 125 crore desilting work begins in delta region

Tiruchi: A special desilting program began in the delta region on Saturday, with the respective district collectors visiting the site to review the work and urging officials to complete the process on time. To facilitate the release of water from Mettur to the outlying areas, the special desilting program, costing approximately ₹125 crore, was inaugurated in Chennai by Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan via video conferencing, and the respective district collectors inaugurated the process in their respective districts. In Thanjavur, District Collector B. Priyanka Pankajam inaugurated work on the Manojipatti and Karuppankottai drains, a 1.50 km stretch in Melaveli village.
The Karuppankottai drain will reach the Muthalaimuthu drain, irrigating approximately 250 acres of land through the GA Canal Irrigation System. Collector Priyanka Pankajam said, “Based on farmers’ requests, initially, work will be done on removing vegetation and strengthening the retaining walls of irrigation channels on a priority basis. 299 works will be carried out in the district.” Meanwhile, in Tiruvarur, District Collector V. Mohanachandran inaugurated desilting work between the Vilammal Canal and Vijayapuram Canal near Thandalai in Tiruvarur. He said that 185 works will be carried out in the district. Meanwhile, farmers have appealed to the state to form a monitoring committee of farmers to oversee the ongoing desilting work. Noting that the ₹125 crore funding in the area is insufficient to complete the entire process, he said the state should increase the funding.