The Water Resources Department is awaiting a government order to carry out development works in the Kalingarayan Channel and extend the baby channel by an additional six k.m. at ₹83.30 crore.
The 91.1 km long Kalingarayan channel, constructed by the Kongu chieftain Kalingarayan in the 13th century, irrigates 15,743 acres across Erode, Modakkurichi, and Kodumudi taluks. A 7.5 km baby channel was constructed 11 years ago from Bhavani to Vairapalayam to address pollution issues caused by the dumping of household waste and discharge of industrial effluents. The project was aimed at treating sewage and discharging processed water into the Cauvery River. However, untreated sewage continued to flow directly into the Cauvery as there is no effluent treatment plant.
Farmers and residents have long demanded extension of the baby channel to keep the main channel free from pollution. They have also called for stringent measures to prevent dumping of household and industrial waste into both channels.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) submitted a proposal to the government to undertake development works in the main channel and extend the baby channel by six more kms, from Vairapalayam to Vendipalayam.
A WRD official confirmed that the government recently accepted the proposal and an order is expected shortly. “Once the order is issued, the tendering process will begin, with work expected to commence by the end of June,” the official said. Once the project is completed, pollution in the Kalingarayan Channel will be fully prevented. The district administration is in the process of establishing a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), which is considered the only permanent solution to the pollution problem, the official added.
Published - April 23, 2025 06:02 pm IST
