Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam opened the sluice gates of the dam in the presence of Forest Minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan, Cooperatives Minister Sellur K Raju, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management RB Udhayakumar in Theni.

Officials said the release of water was facilitated by the copious amount of rainfall recorded in the catchment area of Mullaiperiyar dam during the ongoing Southwest monsoon season. The water released into the 18th channel will irrigate several villages in Uthamapalayam and Bodinaickanur taluks, covering over 4,500 acres through 44 tanks. Some of the villages that will benefit are Pannaipuram, Kombai, K Pudupattti, Hanumanthampatti, S Chinthalaichery and Thevaram Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had made an announcement during the assembly session in 2014 for these projects during the assembly session in 2014. She declared them open on February 27, 2016, through video conference. The 18th channel-Kottakudi river linking project, which was extended from Suthaganga odai to Koovalinga river, was completed in March this year and trial run was made with the release of 200 cusecs for seven days, officials said.

On release of hundred cusecs for a period of 120 days through PT Rajan and Thanthai Periyar channels, the Deputy Chief Minister on Wednesday said around 830 acres covering Chinnamanur, Seepalakottai and Veppampatti villages in Uthamapalayam taluk and 4,316 acres covering Seelayampatti, Poomalaigundi, Dharmapuri, Thadicheri, Venkatachalapuram, Koduvilarpatti, Jangalpatti, Govindanagaram and Balakrishnapuram villages in Theni taluk will be irrigated.

Panneerselvam also said the late Jayalalithaa had allotted more funds for the ‘58-canal’ scheme during her tenure as the Chief Minister. Stating that the scheme was implemented quickly, he said, “With this facility, the long pending demand of farmers and people of Usilampatti taluk has been fulfilled. Now, the released water would reach tanks in Usilampatti taluk in Madurai district and Nilakottai taluk in Dindigul district.” 

The water level in Vaigai dam had increased to 69 feet due to heavy showers recorded in recent days. The surplus water has been utilised meaningfully, Panneerselvam added.

Theni Collector M Pallavi Baldev, Madurai Collector K Veera Raghava Rao, Dindigul Collector TG Vinay, Theni MP R Parthiban, Dindigul MP M Udhayakumar, Executive Engineer, PWD (Periyar-Vaigai Division) T Subramanian and others were present.

The ‘58-canal’ scheme was framed in the year 1996 with the aim of providing water to 58 villages in Usilampatti and Nilakottai divisions, which are otherwise dry. The unique design of the project is that whenever the water touches 69 feet, the maximum capacity of Vaigai dam, the excess water would be discharged through a canal constructed on top of the Vaigai dam. The dam reached its maximum capacity this year, following which the govt ernment decided to release water to the ‘58-canal’ scheme.