Irrigation infrastructure in 35 areas will be restored to ensure water supply equity: Minister Duraimurugan

Duraimurugan. File | Picture source: C. Venkatachalapathy

To save water resources, prevent waste and ensure fair distribution of irrigated land, 149 irrigation structures will be restored and rebuilt at a price of Rs 722.55 crore.

This is one of 18 announcements issued by Minister of Water Resources Duraimurugan on Monday (24 March 2025) on the budget demand of the Ministry of Water Resources of Tamil Nadu Legislative Council. The projects will cover irrigation infrastructure in 35 regions including Coimbatore, Dindigul, Dharmapuri, Kanniyakumari, Erode, Salem, Theni, Theni and Kancheepuram.

The fragile extension of the Parambitikulam Main canal in Coimbatore Pollachi will recover at a cost of Rs 995 crore. The Mathur aqueduct was built in 1966 and is located in Thiruvattar Taluk in Kanniyakumari district and will be repaired for Rs 6 million.

In addition to repairing and modernizing structures such as inspection dams in various regions, the water bodies of Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu (such as Karambur and Tiruneermalai Lakes) will also be revitalized with better storage capacity, with better total costs.

The state government also approved Rs 31 crore to restore 5 km of central Buckingham in central Chennai. The new inspection dam will appear at 21 locations in 15 areas, including Dindiger, tenkasi, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Tiruchi.

A cheque dam of Rs 63,000 will be built in Pennaiyar, village of Melpattampakkam, Cuddalore district. These projects are designed to protect floods, recharge groundwater, and mitigate flooding in some areas where floods in December 2024. Tirukkoilur Anicut in Kallukurichi District was severely affected during the hurricane offensive, with a cost of Rs 13 billion.

Initial work will be carried out to seek approval from coastal regulatory zones to prevent coastal erosion in Mayiladuthurai area and Azhikkal in Kanniyakumari area, costing Rs 134 crore. The government also allocated Rs 14.9 billion to repair dam infrastructure in 16 locations in 11 regions including Damapuri, Krishnagiri, Tanyaville and Madurai.

Flood mitigation measures will be initiated to Rs 13.128 crore to improve various waterways in seven regions to prevent violations, prevent violations and improve their carrying capacity.

The government has approved Rs 33.8 crore to 12 integrated flood management projects implemented in Chennai and its neighbors. Various work will be carried out in areas such as Pallikaranai Marshland, Ambattur Industrial Estate, Mugalivakkam and Kundrathur to alleviate flooding.