Clearing impediments in supply channels to be included in kudimaramathu, says PWD Secy

The move follows large scale complaints from ryots that despite copious rain many irrigation tanks in Vellore and Ranipet districts were dry due to supply channels being either encroached upon or were totally silted up.

Stating that he would attend a debriefing session in the Secretariat on Tuesday in which Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami would participate, he said the team’s visit to affected areas was based on the state’s demand for slightly more than Rs 7,000 crore for relief work which the Chief Minister had sought from the Centre.

Farmer leaders, who interacted with the team wanted not only remedial action but also for officials to ensure that such incidents were not repeated.

Vellore district TN Farmers Association president K Raja told the team members, “action is necessary to ensure that culverts built with cement pipes were cleared of blockage during monsoon as such blockage was the reason for adjoining farms being inundated.” He also said that a sub station built on the banks of the Ponnai river was inundated resulting in surrounding areas going without power for more than a week as the facility was not built on high ground. Also, damaged shutters in the Wallajahpet anaicut needed to be replaced after finding the reasons for their non-functioning.

There were some unsavoury comments at the presence of the father-son duo of Duraimurugan and Kathir Anand (Katpadi MLA and Vellore MP) at the Wallajah anaicut with locals wondering how Duraimurugan suddenly turned up when he was absent during the cyclone and for the last four and a half years.