Veeranam tank sluice gates opened, to irrigate 1,31,903 acres in 3 districts

Water was released from the Lower Anicut and the Veeranam tank for irrigation in the districts of Cuddalore, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam on Thursday.
District Collector S. Suresh Kumar opened the sluice gates releasing the water which would help farmers irrigate around 1,31,903 acres in the three districts.
Mr. Suresh Kumar said that around 1,800 cusecs of water would be released from the Lower Anicut and another 85 cusecs from the Veeranam tank.
Around 1,100 cusecs of water would be discharged from the Vadavar, 400 cusecs from South Rajan canal and 300 cusecs from North Rajan canal. The quantum released would increase as per the irrigational requirements. As many as 47,997 acres in Cuddalore district and 39,050 acres in Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts would benefit from the water release from the Lower Anicut.
The Vadavar canal part of the Veeranam system would benefit 44,856 acres in Cuddalore district, he said.
District Collectors N. Subbayan (Thanjavur) and S. Palanisamy (Nagapattinam) also participated.
Meanwhile, farmers in Cuddalore district have appealed to the State Government to undertake desilting of the Veeranam tank. Although, the Government had sanctioned a sum of Rs. 40 crore, desilting works had not been carried out for the last three years.
Delay in desilting the irrigation channels in the district would also affect flow of water to the tail end regions in Chidambaram and Kattumannarkovil blocks in the district said K.V. Elangeeran, president of the Veeranam Eri Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam.
The Veeranam tank should be desilted and its storage capacity doubled to maintain water supply in the tail-end areas of Cuddalore district. Farmers in the district had resorted to direct sowing of paddy due to delay in releasing water to the ayacut areas, Mr. Elangeeran said.


Source : The Hindu