The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Avanashi-Athikadavu scheme will be implemented soon : Minister

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Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Avanashi-Athikadavu scheme will be implemented soon : Minister

Staff Reporter

Tirumurthy dam will be desilted on an experimental basis

— Photo: M. Balaji

Farmers assured: Public Works Department Minister Durai Murugan speaking at a seminar on irrigation at Pollachi in Coimbatore District on Monday. Coimbatore Collector Neeraj Mittal (left) Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisami (second left) and Highways Minister M.P. Saminathan (right) are in the picture.

POLLACHI: With the pronouncement of the final award of the Cauvery River Water Tribunal, the Tamil Nadu Government will expedite the implementation of Avanashi-Athikadavu Scheme for Coimbatore and Erode districts.

The project’s objective is to improve the ground water table by using excess water from River Bhavani to fill ponds and lakes in the drought-prone areas in this region, Public Works Department Minister Durai Murugan said here on Monday.

Addressing a seminar on ’Irrigation under the Parambikulam Aliyar Project’, he said the Government could not implement the project because of the Bhavani being a tributary of River Cauvery. In principle, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government had agreed to implement the scheme that would benefit thousands of farmers. ``We have come to the conclusion that diverting three or four tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water for them will not harm the interests of others. A proper announcement will be made soon,” he added.

To a plea by water users’ associations and elected representatives to widen the Contour Canal in order to increase its carrying capacity up to Tirumurthy Dam, from all other dams under the PAP, Mr. Durai Murugan said that efforts would be made to repair the entire canal. A team of senior officials would visit the canal on August 24 and the entire stretch would be made pilferage-proof with World Bank aid. He warned the farmers who indulged in water pilferage from the canal of stern action. As the farmers in the tail-end areas had been affected by the breaching of bunds and pilferage of water using motors, he asserted that this would not be tolerated anymore. The Tirumurthy Dam would be desilted and muds from forehead would be removed on an experimental basis to increase the storage.Referring to the ongoing disputes of sharing of water between neighbouring States, the Minister said that Tamil Nadu Government was taking a cautious approach and also constructive and firm steps to protect the interests of the State.He maintained that the State always wanted to have good relations with its neighbours.

Water release

Mr. Durai Murugan announced that water would be released from Tirumurthy Damon Wednesday for the irrigation of one lakh acres under the fourth zone in Coimbatore and Erode districts.

He said that he would soon consult various issues pertaining to the PAP with the presidents of the water users’ associations.

Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy, Highways Minister M.P.Saminathan and Coimbatore Collector Neeraj Mittal, MLAs C. Govindasamy(Tirupur), Vidiyal Sekar (Kangeyam), A.S. Mani (Pongalur) and Kovai Thangam(Valparai) also spoke at the seminar.

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