WRD begins clearing water hyacinth from Uyyakondan canal in Tiruchi

Water Resources Department removes water hyacinth from Uyyakondan canal, facing delays in water release, causing concern among farmers.

The Water Resources Department (WRD) has launched a drive to remove the lush growth of water hyacinth on the city stretch of the Uyyakondan canal, amidst pleas for stepping up the water release in the canal from farmers downstream.

The 1,000-year-old Uyyakondan canal, built by Raja Raja Cholan and renovated by Kulothunga Cholan, has an ayacut of 32,000 acres and feeds 36 tanks. It traverses about 71 km between Pettavaithalai and Vazhavanthankottai tank in Tiruchi district. The Uyyakondan extension canal runs further into Thanjavur district feeding some irrigation tanks which are the main source of irrigation for farmers.

However, the canal has been bearing the brunt of heavy urban pollution on its city stretch from the Puthur Weir to Ariyamangalam as domestic sewage is let out into the canal at various places. This makes it the ideal ground for water hyacinth to grow in abundance.

This year, although the WRD has released water in all major canals in the region, including the Uyyakondan from the River Cauvery, the water is yet to the reach even the city. A thick blanket of water hyacinth could be seen on the canal at many stretches in the city.

On Monday, the WRD deployed men and machines to remove the aquatic weeds. Officials indicated that the exercise would go on for the next few days to rid the canal of the weed on the city stretch.

A WRD official said that about 700 cubic feet of water (cusecs) is being let out into the South Bank Banal from the Cauvery at Mayanur and of this nearly 400 cusecs flowed into the Uyyakondan at Pettavaithalai. However, it would take a few days for the water to reach city and further downstream. Efforts were being made to ensure that adequate water flowed to the tail-end areas of all canals, the official said.

However, a section of farmers have expressed concern over the delay in the water flow in the canal. V.Jeevakumar, district vice-president, All India Agricultural Labourers Union, Thanjavur, said several tanks are yet to be filled with water released flowing in the canal and thousands of farmers were dependent on the canals to raise a single crop.