Water was released for irrigation into New Kattalai High Level Canal (NKHLC) at Mayanur in Karur district and into Pullampadi Canal at Mukkombu in Tiruchi district on Tuesday. Both canals are fed by the Cauvery.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami ordered the release of water in the canals from August 18 to December 31 for a period of 136 days. Collector T. Anbalagan, M. Geetha, MLA, PWD officials and farmers offered flowers as the water flowed into New Kattalai High Level Canal.
The canal runs a distance of about 134 km from Mayanur Kattalai barrage to Pidari Eri near Thirumalaisamudiram in Thanjavur district, feeding 28 branch canals and 22 supply channels en route.
The canal irrigates 16,164 acres in Tiruchi and 4,491 acres in Thanjavur district. Interestingly, the canal does not have any ayacut area on its 60 km course in Karur district.
In Tiruchi district, water was released into Pullampadi canal from Vathalai near the Upper Anicut (Mukkombu) in the presence of Collector S. Sivarasu and senior PWD officials.
The canal, which runs a distance of about 100 km from Vathalai to Sukkiran Eri in Ariyalur district, would irrigate 22,114 acres in Tiruchi and Ariyalur districts. Of this, 8,831 acres would be directly irrigated by the canal and 13,283 acres would get supply from tanks fed by it. The tank would feed three irrigation tanks in Tiruchi and 25 in Ariyalur district.
Meanwhile, deputy secretary of Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association Koundampatti R. Subramanian urged PWD authorities to ensure release of adequate water in Kattalai High Level Canal (KHLC), downstream of the Nachalur regulator.
“About 10,000 acres get supply downstream the regulator and authorities should ensure that adequate water was released so that the tail-end areas of KHLC got water for samba cultivation,” Mr. Subramanian said.
He also urged PWD officials to conduct joint inspection with revenue authorities to assess the extent of permitted lift irrigation areas and take this into account while releasing water into the canal.