Ramanathapuram
The water-starved district is all set to receive water from Vaigai dam as the government has ordered release of water from September 10 for wetting the Vaigai river to facilitate groundwater recharge and cater to the drinking water needs.
After Minister for Information Technology M. Manikandan and Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao requested Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to release water in view of drinking water problems, the government, in its Government Order (G.O 427) dated September, 8, 2018 ordered release of 1,559 mcft – 909 mcft for Ramanathapuram, 390 mcft for Sivaganga and 260 mcft for Madurai.
The Vaigai credit was shared among the three districts on the basis of 7:3:2. Water would be released from September 10 to 14 for Sivaganga, from September 14 to 19 for Ramanathapuram and from September 19 to 27 for Madurai, the government order said.
After the release of water on the evening of September 10, the Vaigai water, primarily for wetting the Vaigai river to facilitate groundwater recharge, was expected to reach the big tank here within 10 days, S Venkitakrishnan, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department (lower Vaigai basin division, Paramakudi), said.
As the earlier release of surplus water from the dam had reached up to Thirupachethi in Sivaganga district, the ‘run off’ of water would be faster up to that point thanks to the wetness, he said adding “we will receive the water in the big tank within 10 days.” The district had received Vaigai water in December last year, he said.
PWD officials would be monitoring the flow of water right from Vaigai dam up to the big tank here to ensure that there was no illegal tapping of water en route, he said. The officials would patrol the entire Vaigai river with the help of police, he said.
After water reached the Parthibanur regulator, the district’s entry point, it would traverse for about 50 km to reach the big tank here, he added.