The Water Resources Department (WRD) is set to complete construction of yet another check dam in the upstream portion of Poondi reservoir in Tiruvallur district in about four months.
Nearly 50% of the work on the check dam with regulator across the Sholingur branch channel, near Parabayangarapuram village, about 40 km upstream of Poondi reservoir, one of the major drinking water sources of the city, has been completed so far.
The ₹8.46-crore project would help storage in neighbouring tanks. WRD officials said this was a scheme chalked out for inter-basin transfer from Poiney sub-basin, a tributary of Palar to Kosasthalaiyar basin.
The project was part of the water conservation initiatives to preserve a significant amount of floodwater from draining into the sea through the Kosasthalaiyar. The Sholingur channel in Tiruvallur branches off from the East Main Canal, which originates from Ponnai dam in Vellore district. It runs for 12.73 km before draining into the Sholingur tank.
Work is in progress to build regulator across the Sholingur channel to regulate floodwater to fill tanks in Misarakandapuram and Channurmallavaram. These waterbodies have an ayacut area of nearly 80.34 hectares. The structure is being built across a 31 m long channel for a height of 1.4 m.
Once the checkdam is completed, the structure will boost agricultural production and also help increase the groundwater table in open wells in the surrounding areas, such as Sengalam, Krishnakuppam, and Nagakuppam. It will also reduce drinking water shortage in the region, officials said.
Work is in progress to desilt the Sholingur channel and also strengthen the flood banks as part of the project. The surplus from Sholingur channel flows into a few other waterbodies and waterways, such as Nagari river, before reaching Poondi reservoir, the officials added.
