Farmers in Villupuram, Puducherry call for early steps to repair Sornavur anicut across Thenpennai River

Farmers urge urgent repairs for the dilapidated Sornavur anicut in Villupuram to prevent water loss and support irrigation.

With the anicut across the Thenpennai River at Sornavur in Villupuram remaining in a highly dilapidated condition over the past one year, farmers’ representatives from Villupuram and neighbouring Puducherry have called upon the Tamil Nadu and the Puducherry Governments to take up expeditious repair of the anicut.

Though the Sornavur anicut is located in Villupuram taluk, the funds for taking up repair and maintenance are borne by the Puducherry Government while its operation is under the control of the Tamil Nadu Government under a bilateral agreement.

Prior to the construction of the anicut, water was diverted from the Pennaiyar River into the Bangaru channel by means of Korambu (barrier) by the local ryots. Therefore, the necessity for the construction of an anicut across the river was keenly felt by the Puducherry Government and the anicut was built 306 metres of the head sluice to Bangaru channel in the line of the Korambu to give assured supply to the Bangaru channel.

The anicut is a vital structure from where the water is diverted to the Bangaru Vaickal bringing water to several irrigation tanks in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry including the major tank of Bahour.

A senior official of the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department (WRD) said the anicut remained in a highly dilapidated condition since 2021. Though repair work of the anicut commenced, the work was halted due to Cyclone Fengal. The anicut suffered extensive damages during Cyclone Fengal following the discharge of over two lakh cusecs of water into the Thenpennai River.

“Though the anicut was designed to handle 1,80,000 cusecs of water, around 2,42,000 cusecs was discharged into the anicut following floods in the wake of Cyclone Fengal. As a result, the energy dissipating arrangements of the Anicut such as cement concrete blocks and the launching apron were completely eroded. The downstream side riverbed also scoured beyond the depth of the side cutoff wall and the bank protection works such as revetments, toe walls on both sides of the anicut were eroded,” the official explained.