3 months ago
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With the anicut crossed the Thenpennai River astatine Sornavur successful Villupuram remaining successful a highly dilapidated information implicit the past 1 year, farmers’ representatives from Villupuram and neighbouring Puducherry person called upon the Tamil Nadu and the Puducherry Governments to instrumentality up expeditious repair of the anicut.
Though the Sornavur anicut is located successful Villupuram taluk, the funds for taking up repair and attraction are borne by the Puducherry Government portion its cognition is nether the power of the Tamil Nadu Government nether a bilateral agreement.
Prior to the operation of the anicut, h2o was diverted from the Pennaiyar River into the Bangaru transmission by means of Korambu (barrier) by the section ryots. Therefore, the necessity for the operation of an anicut crossed the stream was keenly felt by the Puducherry Government and the anicut was built 306 metres of the caput sluice to Bangaru transmission successful the enactment of the Korambu to springiness assured proviso to the Bangaru channel.
The anicut is simply a captious operation from wherever the h2o is diverted to the Bangaru Vaickal bringing h2o to respective irrigation tanks successful Tamil Nadu and Puducherry including the large vessel of Bahour.
A elder authoritative of the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department (WRD) said the anicut remained successful a highly dilapidated information since 2021. Though repair enactment of the anicut commenced, the enactment was halted owed to Cyclone Fengal. The anicut suffered extended damages during Cyclone Fengal pursuing the discharge of implicit 2 lakh cusecs of h2o into the Thenpennai River.
“Though the anicut was designed to grip 1,80,000 cusecs of water, astir 2,42,000 cusecs was discharged into the anicut pursuing floods successful the aftermath of Cyclone Fengal. As a result, the vigor dissipating arrangements of the Anicut specified arsenic cement factual blocks and the launching apron were wholly eroded. The downstream broadside riverbed besides scoured beyond the extent of the broadside cutoff partition and the slope extortion works specified arsenic revetments, toed walls connected some sides of the anicut were eroded,” the authoritative explained.
“Out of the full estimated repair outgo of ₹39 crore, a sum of ₹10 crore has already been incurred for the preliminary work. A record has been sent to the WRD seeking support whether to dismantle the existing operation and physique it upstream oregon redesign the anicut. A last determination is awaited portion funds are yet to beryllium sanctioned by the Puducherry Government for taking up repair works,” the authoritative added.
Commissioned successful 1970, the anicut feeds a full of 21 tanks - 8 tanks successful Tamil Nadu and 13 tanks successful Puducherry State. The full ayacut fed by Bangaru Channel is 6053.11 acres. This includes 1275.11 acres successful Tamil Nadu and 4478 acres successful Puducherry. In addition, an ayacut of 1822.66 acres successful Tamil Nadu limits is benefitted done unfastened disconnected instrumentality channels beneath the anicut.
According to V. Chandrasekhar, president of Bangaru Vaickal Neeradhara Koottamaippu, a h2o users’ association, the hold successful taking up repair enactment of the Sornavur anicut has caused nonaccomplishment of immense volumes of water. Though a enactment bid to the tune of ₹39 crore was issued to instrumentality up reconstruction of the anicut, the enactment was halted midway. Though Puducherry received bully rain, the Bahour vessel did not person h2o owed to the damaged anicut, and a immense measurement of h2o drained into the sea.
“Though repeated representations person been made to the authorities acrophobic to instantly resume enactment connected the Sornavur anicut, it has not evoked immoderate effect truthful far. Unless the repair enactment of the anicut is taken up connected a war-footing, Puducherry volition beryllium losing the surplus rainwater that volition beryllium diverted to the waterbodies successful the region. The Puducherry Government should instantly merchandise funds to restart enactment connected the anicut,” Mr. Chandrasekhar said.
An authoritative successful the Tamil Nadu WRD said the Department had projected renovation of the anicut with reconstruction of the toed partition upstream and downstream of the structure. “We person besides projected an apron downstream of the anicut and strengthening of the flood banks. By the renovation of this anicut the existing ayacut volition beryllium ensured,” helium said.
