3 months ago
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Chief Minister M.K. Stalin connected Thursday virtually laid the instauration chromatic to physique a tiny dam crossed Koilmalaiyar river, a tributary of Palar river, astatine a outgo of ₹176.20 crore, successful Melarasanpattu colony connected the foothills of Jawadhu Hills successful Vellore.
Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) said that the task was a long-standing request of farmers and residents successful the region. It is the archetypal 1 that has been undertaken by WRD since the opening of Mordhana Dam crossed Koundinya River, a tributary of the Palar, successful Gudiyatham municipality successful 2001.
The caller dam volition assistance to forestall inundation successful farming villages astatine the foothills of Jawadhu Hills. “ The restoration volition assistance to prevention excess rainwater from the hills for farming and home consumption. Farmers volition get h2o for irrigation connected clip owed to the caller dam,” said S. Vembu, a farmer.
WRD officials said that the caller dam volition beryllium built betwixt Melarasanpattu and Karuthamalai reserve forests (RF) adjacent Amirthi Zoological Park. The full retention capableness of the reservoir volition beryllium 74.438 mcft of water. The dam tin scope its afloat capableness astatine slightest doubly a year. “The caller dam volition beryllium a lifeline for farmers successful the foothills of Jawadhu for cultivation and consumption. The full enactment volition beryllium completed successful 3 years,” V.S. Chitharani, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), WRD (Vellore), told The Hindu.
As per norms, the caller dam has been classified arsenic a tiny dam successful presumption of the full tallness of the facility. Small dams were built to a tallness of beneath 5 metres; mean dams are betwixt 5 metres and 15 metres successful height, and ample dams are built supra 15 metres. The size of the dam besides signifies the full measurement of h2o that could beryllium stored.
Funded nether State Fund 2026, the caller tiny dam volition beryllium 310 metres successful magnitude and 5 metres successful width. On an average, the caller dam tin merchandise a maximum of 19,912 cusecs of h2o per second. The caller installation volition besides assistance to transmission excess h2o into 5 irrigation tanks. Farmers successful 14 villages volition payment from the caller facility, which volition besides assistance to cultivate 1,685 acres of farmland and recharge groundwater successful 684 acres successful its vicinity.
WRD officials said that Bheeman falls successful Veerapanur Reserve Forest atop Jawadhu Hills successful Tiruvannamalai remains a cardinal h2o root for Koilmalaiyar River. The stream flows done forests and plains earlier joining Palar River, astir 30 kms distant from the caller tiny dam area. In different words, WRD officials said h2o stored successful the caller dam tin payment residents wrong a 30 kms radius.
