Minister lays foundation for two check dams across Palar, Ponnai near Katpadi

Minister for Water Resources and Katpadi MLA Duraimurugan virtually laid the instauration chromatic for 2 cheque dams crossed Palar and its tributary Ponnai stream adjacent Katpadi successful Vellore connected Saturday. The task seeks to forestall inundation of the municipality during monsoon and besides to assistance recharge of groundwater successful surrounding villages for irrigation.

Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) said that the 2 caller cheque dams volition assistance irrigate astatine slightest 1,200 hectares of farmland successful the region. “Also, section bodies tin descend borewells on the caller installation to gully h2o for consumption,” S. Ramkumar, Assistant Engineer (AE), WRD (Katpadi), told The Hindu.

Along with Vellore MP D.M. Kathir Anand, Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi inspected the tract wherever the enactment volition beryllium taken up. “As the portion on Palar is arid with farmers having to beryllium connected heavy bore wells for irrigation, caller cheque dams volition assistance to store excess rainwater and summation groundwater level. More specified cheque dams crossed the stream should beryllium built,” said V. Kandan, a farmer.

Funded by NABARD nether the Permanent Floods Restoration Scheme 2025-26, the 2 cheque dams volition beryllium built astatine a full outgo of ₹69.52 crore. The cheque dam crossed Palar volition beryllium 470 metres agelong with a full retention capableness of 10.27 mcft (million cubic feet). The caller installation crossed Ponneri stream volition beryllium 198 metres agelong and full retention capableness of 7.36 mcft (million cubic feet). The full tallness of each installation volition beryllium 1.5 feet.

Each cheque dam, connected an average, tin discharge 80,000 cusecs of excess rainwater. During its afloat capacity, h2o astatine each cheque dam covers astatine slightest 120 acres. For farmers, the caller cheque dams volition assistance recharge astatine slightest 315 workplace wells successful the region. Around 10-12 farming villages volition get benefitted arsenic groundwater level volition summation to astir 3 kms radius from these cheque dams.