The Water Resources Department is working round the clock to finish repair works on the Thirumoorthy Division's contour canal before August 8, amidst farmers' concerns over water release delays for irrigation.
Coimbatore: The Water Resources Department (WRD) is racing against time to complete the repair works of the contour canal in the Thirumoorthy Division before August 8. This urgency comes in the wake of protests by farmers in Tiruppur district who depend on the 124-km Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) canal for irrigation.
Last week, a section of farmers staged a demonstration in Pollachi, expressing their discontent over what they perceived as a delay in completing the repair works. The farmers argued that with the Parambikulam Dam filling up rapidly, the repair works should be halted to allow water flow into the Thirumoorthy Dam. Their concern stems from the fear that prolonged repairs might be used as a reason to delay water release from Thirumoorthy Dam into the PAP canal for wetting the second and third zones. As per schedule, water is to be released from the Thirumoorthy Dam during the last week of August.
However, WRD officials maintain that halting the works at such an advanced stage is not feasible. A senior WRO official overseeing the repair works in the Thirumoorthy Division stated that the works were being carried out at five locations in the jurisdiction extending from the 30.10th km to the 49th km endpoint. The official provided a breakdown of the progress:
1. Work at a 250-meter vulnerable stretch is expected to be completed within two days.
2. Repairs at two locations, covering 90-meter and 160-meter stretches, have been completed.
3. Work on a 70-meter stretch at the fourth location has also been finished.
4. The fifth location, another 70-meter stretch, requires four to five more days of work.
The official emphasized that the contractor has been instructed to work round the clock to complete the unfinished work. Once the repairs are done, the next few days will be spent removing concrete debris. The WRD aims to have the contour canal ready for water release from Parambikulam Dam by August 8.
As of Monday, the water level in Parambikulam Dam stood at 49 feet against its full capacity of 72 feet, with an inflow of nearly 3,500 cusecs. Officials assure that given the current inflow rate, there is no immediate risk of the dam filling up.
The repair works along the contour canal were initially sanctioned in 2021, but progress was hampered by COVID-19 lockdowns. The WRD expects to complete repairs on the three-kilometer vulnerable stretch by the end of 2023.
This situation highlights the delicate balance between necessary infrastructure maintenance and the urgent water needs of farmers in the region. As the deadline approaches, all eyes are on the WRD to see if they can successfully complete the repairs without disrupting the crucial water supply for agriculture in Tiruppur district.
Last week, a section of farmers staged a demonstration in Pollachi, expressing their discontent over what they perceived as a delay in completing the repair works. The farmers argued that with the Parambikulam Dam filling up rapidly, the repair works should be halted to allow water flow into the Thirumoorthy Dam. Their concern stems from the fear that prolonged repairs might be used as a reason to delay water release from Thirumoorthy Dam into the PAP canal for wetting the second and third zones. As per schedule, water is to be released from the Thirumoorthy Dam during the last week of August.
However, WRD officials maintain that halting the works at such an advanced stage is not feasible. A senior WRO official overseeing the repair works in the Thirumoorthy Division stated that the works were being carried out at five locations in the jurisdiction extending from the 30.10th km to the 49th km endpoint. The official provided a breakdown of the progress:
1. Work at a 250-meter vulnerable stretch is expected to be completed within two days.
2. Repairs at two locations, covering 90-meter and 160-meter stretches, have been completed.
3. Work on a 70-meter stretch at the fourth location has also been finished.
4. The fifth location, another 70-meter stretch, requires four to five more days of work.
The official emphasized that the contractor has been instructed to work round the clock to complete the unfinished work. Once the repairs are done, the next few days will be spent removing concrete debris. The WRD aims to have the contour canal ready for water release from Parambikulam Dam by August 8.
As of Monday, the water level in Parambikulam Dam stood at 49 feet against its full capacity of 72 feet, with an inflow of nearly 3,500 cusecs. Officials assure that given the current inflow rate, there is no immediate risk of the dam filling up.
The repair works along the contour canal were initially sanctioned in 2021, but progress was hampered by COVID-19 lockdowns. The WRD expects to complete repairs on the three-kilometer vulnerable stretch by the end of 2023.
This situation highlights the delicate balance between necessary infrastructure maintenance and the urgent water needs of farmers in the region. As the deadline approaches, all eyes are on the WRD to see if they can successfully complete the repairs without disrupting the crucial water supply for agriculture in Tiruppur district.