State allocates ₹ 160 crore for river linking project

It is for the final phase that may be completed by December-end

TIRUNELVELI

The Tamil Nadu Government has allotted ₹ 160 crore for the fourth and final phase of the much-delayed Tamirabharani – Karumaeniyar – Nambiyar linking project, which is likely to be completed by December-end, as promised by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

The project was designed in 2009 on an outlay of ₹ 369 crore to use every year 2.765 tmcft - 20 % of 13.76 thousand million cubic feet - water available in the perennial Tamirabharani. As per the plan, the surplus water of Tamirabharani would be diverted through the Kannadian Channel and then a 73 km-long flood carrier channel that would be formed to take this water to dry regions of Nanguneri, Radhapuram and Sattankulam areas.

As the 6.5-km long Kannadian Channel’s carrying capacity was increased from 450 cubic feet per second (cusecs) to 3,680 cusecs, formation of a new channel to be dug up to M.L. Theri, a sand dune, near Sattankulam in Thoothukudi district, from Kannadian Channel at Vellankuzhi was started. The proposed canal can carry 3,200 cusecs of water.

There are many canals that would connect the 73-km-long canal with a host of tanks in the basins of Karumeniyar and Nambiyar and the Manimuthar’s tributaries such as Pachchaiyaar, Koraiyaar and Yelumichchaiyaar. The main canal would link with the river Pachayar.

When the project is completed, it will benefit 50 villages in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, of which five are in Palyamkottai taluk; 17 in Nanguneri taluk; 10 in Radhapuram taluk; 16 in Sattankulam taluk and two in Tiruchendur taluk. With this surplus water, irrigation facilities can be provided to about 23,040 hectares in these districts.

Of about 1,076 hectares of land required for digging the 73 Km-long channel, 994 hectares fell under the category of dry land and 14.5 hectares under wet land. About 68 hectares were poromboke lands.

The project was launched 11 years ago - during the DMK regime in 2009 -without getting any assurance from the Centre though it was then announced that funds would be made available from the Union Government’s Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme. As the flow of funds stopped, the project had to be stalled for want of funds after the completion of the first two phases of the project. When the AIADMK government came to power in 2011, the project was shelved as no fund was allotted by the Centre.

Irked by the delay, then MLA of Radhapuram M. Appavu approached the High Court and got a few directions to the State government in support of the revival of the project. The undue delay had meanwhile increased the project cost from ₹ 369 crore to ₹ 872 crore.

After the AIADMK government got an assurance and ₹ 217 crore from the Centre for executing third phase of the work, the third phase was started. Now, ₹ 160 crore has been allotted for the fourth and final phase of this ambitions project as Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had announced during the Nanguneri by-poll campaign that it would be completed by December–end. Hence, work on the final leg of this scheme is likely to commence in July after tenders are finalised in June.

“So far, the State Government has released ₹ 595 crore for this project – for completion of more than 30% of the work in the second phase and third and fourth phases - and hence it will be completed by December-end as announced by the Chief Minister,” said I.S. Inbadurai, Radhapuram MLA.