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Breach in LBP canal floods 3 villages in Erode
A major breach in the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) main canal on Friday led to flooding in three villages in Erode district.
By
migrator
migrator
Coimbatore
Officials said that water entered into more than 60 houses in these villages and crops in around 50 acres got submerged following the unexpected breach at Malaipalayam village on Friday morning.
Release of water into the canal from Bhavanisagar dam, which has reached to its brim, has been stopped to carry out works to plug the breach. Since August 15, around 2,000 cusecs has been released into the canal from the dam to irrigate around 1,03,500 acres in Erode, Tirupur and Karur districts.
There was a minor breach on the newly raised retaining wall of the canal on Thursday night. Soon, the officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) got into action and tried to plug it using earth. Acting swiftly, the people settled in Malaipalayam, Karaikadu and Varavankadu villages were shifted to safer regions early on Friday.
If any casualty was avoided, when the major breach happened later, it could be due to the precautionary step taken by the officials to shift the villagers to safety.
When the second breach occurred at around 10.30 am, the people from these three villages had already vacated their houses. But, there were claims from villagers that some of their cattle were washed away and their belongings inside the house were damaged in the floods. Except for simple damages to a few houses, there were no major untoward incidents.
Meanwhile, farmers blamed the poor quality of work in construction of the retaining wall to be the reason behind the breach. Farmers, who were hoping to sow paddy and cultivate other crops following release of water from the canal are now disappointed as uncertainty looms over when the breach will be plugged completely and water released again.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy, Erode District Collector H Krishnaunni and other officials inspected the ongoing works to plug the breach.
Urban Development Minister Muthusamy says canal’s quality of construction will be studied
Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy said that the quality of the construction works undertaken in the canal will be scrutinised. “The PST Engineering Constructions Ltd from Namakkal has been awarded the contract to carry out the renovation works. If there is any compromise in the quality of work, then action would be initiated against the firm,” he told reporters in Erode after inspecting the works underway to plug the breach. The extension, renovation and modernisation of 200-km Lower Bhavani Project canal have been carried out at a cost of Rs 710 crore. However, the works have been stalled following protests by farmers against laying concrete slabs.
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