Canals desilting will be over before Mettur opening on June 12: Minister Govi Chezhiaan

TIRUCHY: With the release of water from Mettur scheduled on the customary date of June 12, the desilting works in the Delta region will be completed by the end of May to ensure free flow of water into the tail-end regions, said the Minister for Higher Education Govi Chezhiaan, on Saturday.

Inaugurating the desilting works at Kumbakonam in Thanjavur, the minister told the reporters that Rs 120 crore has been sanctioned for as many as 1,071 desilting works, covering 6,179 km, in Tiruchy, Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore regions.

For the past four years, the desilting work was undertaken over a distance of 4,760 km in Thanjavur at an estimated cost of Rs 85.97 crore, while this year the programme would cover 1,380 km in the district with a fund of Rs 26.28 crore.

Stating that the Chief Minister MK Stalin has scheduled to release water from Mettur on its customary date of June 12, the minister added that the desilting drive would be completed by May end and the officials are asked to ensure the free flow of water in the irrigation canals and reach the tail end regions.

Citing that arrangements to keep canals ready are under way, the minister expressed hope that the crops may not go to waste during this year's floods.

The minister asked the officials to monitor the ongoing desilting drive and heed the requests of the farmers from the respective regions. He also said that the farmers from the delta region have expressed their gratitude to the state government for commencing desilting works on-time.