Cauvery-Gundar Link Canal project to be completed: Duraimurugan

CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Saturday said that work on the Cauvery - Gundar Link Canal Project would be completed during the DMK government as the land acquisition and canal construction works are progressing swiftly.

Replying to a call attention motion moved by AIADMK MLA C Vijayabaskar, he said that the former minister spoke as if the Cauver - Gundar project was conceived and launched by the former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy. "Former chief minister M Karunanidhi conceived the project and allocated funds for the construction of the shutter in 2008," he said.

The Minister said that the previous AIADMK government allocated Rs 600 crore for the land acquisition for the first phase of the river linking project.

They spent only Rs 31.33 crore and acquired 70.6 acres of land, he said, adding that after DMK came to power, it allocated Rs 312 crore in 2021-22 and 2022-23 to acquire 699 acres of land and a further Rs 554 crore allocated for 2023-24 for the land acquisition.

DMK veteran noted that the previous AIADMK government did not allocate funds for canal construction works. "The DMK government allocated Rs 177 crore in 2021-22 for the canal construction and completed 60 per cent of the works. For 2023-24, the government has allocated Rs 113 crore for the works," he said.

Vijayabaskar who moved the motion alleged that the land acquisition and canal works were progressing at a slow pace. "The project was launched by the former chief minister EPS. The present Minister who has a long experience in the department should speed up the works," he said.

Speaking on the motion, CPM MLA M Chinnadurai said that the project would benefit eight lakh farmers in the seven districts.

Under the Cauvery - Gundar Link Canal Project, a new canal would be formed for 262 km taking off from Kattalai (Mayanur) Barrage, constructed across river Cauvery, to link the rivers Agniyar, South Vellar, Manimuthar, Vaigai and Gundar in three phases. In the first phase, the work on a new canal from Kattalai Barrage to South Vellar for 118.45 km at Rs 6,941 crore is under progress.