The Minister for Housing and Urban Development S. Muthusamy on Saturday (August 17, 2024) said surplus water in the Bhavani river and seepage from the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal will ensure water supply for 70 days to the newly inaugurated Athikadavu-Avinashi project.
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Addressing mediapersons at Pumping Station 1 in Bhavani, after the project was inaugurated by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin via video conferencing, the Minister said it was designed to draw surplus water of 1.5 TMC for 70 days from the downstream of Kalingarayan anicut in Bhavani. “Surplus water in the river, which was over 1,000 cusecs on Friday (August 16, 2024), dropped to less than 600 cusecs on Saturday. The project needs continuous water supply to fill all the 1,045 water bodies in three districts,” he said.
The Minister said the Water Resources Department (WRD) officials have carried out a study and submitted a report pointing out that seepage from the LBP canal will be of big help to the project. “Water was released into the LBP canal on August 15 and in another 15 days, seepage will help ensure adequate availability of water,” he said.
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Mr. Muthusamy said farmers whose lands are located below the third pumping station will not benefit from the project, but they were persuaded in providing their lands. “It delayed the project during COVID-19, and after getting consent for land acquisition and the right of use for laying pipelines from farmers, work began on September 29, 2022. It was completed on January 23, 2023,” the Minister added.
Explaining the reasons behind the delay in completing the project, Mr. Muthusamy said rectifying damages to most of the 83 feeder lines that were laid three years ago, a delay in obtaining consent from farmers, and the non-availability of surplus water caused the delay in commencing the trial run. He said compensation to farmers would be given in a few days, and assured that farmers’ welfare is the government’s priority.
When asked whether the project was inaugurated after the BJP announced a protest from August 20, 2024, the Minister said, “Surplus water is available only now.” He pointed out that the government did not waste a single day in executing the project. The Minister said the project is designed only to fill 1,045 water bodies, and more water bodies could be covered only by implementing the second phase of the project.