New check dam, restored water channel across Palar near Katpadi inaugurated

Minister inaugurates restored water channel and check dam, benefiting farmers by improving water flow and irrigation in the region.

Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan on Sunday inaugurated the restored water channel and newly built check dam across Palar near Katpadi.

Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) said the restoration was crucial for the farmers in the region, as it would improve the flow of discharged water into the channel.

Free flow of water into the channel had been blocked due to the deposition of sediments and growth of vegetation. This in turn led to water seepage, which further caused inundation of residential areas, especially during monsoon.

“Restoration of the channel will facilitate direct flow of floodwater into the inlets that discharge water from the channel to cultivated lands. It will also help store more rainwater during monsoon,” said V. Mayan, a farmer.

As part of the restoration, WRD officials said, the entire channel — from Kangeyanallur village near Katpadi to Ammoor village near Arcot — had been desilted to a distance of 12.7 km and a depth of four metres. A large volume of silt was removed.

The channel was also widened to an extent of three metres. This will help store excess rainwater and bring more agricultural lands under cultivation in the region, they said.

“Around 900 acres of farmland in the region will benefit by the restoration of the channel. The initiative was a long-standing demand of residents in villages along the waterbody,” R. Ramkumar, Assistant Engineer, Public Works Department (Katpadi), told The Hindu.