The old earthen water channels branching out on both sides of Sathanur Dam in Tiruvannamalai will soon be replaced with concrete channels.
Funded by World Bank under the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation (TN IAM) scheme, new concrete water channels will be built at a distance of eight km, connecting the main canals of the dam, at a cost of ₹7.29 crore. The concrete channels will be three metres wide to accommodate more inflow.
The entire work will be completed in nine months, say officials.
At present, the main canal, which spans 35 km, has 15 water distribution channels to irrigate over 45,000 hectares of farmlands. Most of these channels have been converted into concrete structures over the years.
Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) said the earthen water channels have been in existence since the construction of the dam in 1958. Water released from the dam will be discharged directly to the farmlands through these these canals. Small waterbodies like irrigation tanks and ponds will also get a share of water from the dam, especially during monsoon, to recharge groundwater in surrounding villages.
“Concrete water channels will help farmers, especially those in the tail end of the canals, get water without any seepage. It helps to irrigate 3,188 acres of farmland in the region,” Mr. S. Rajesh, Assistant Engineer (AE), WRD (Sathanur Dam), told The Hindu.
Over the years, earthen channels have sustained damages, resulting in water wastage. Due to this, farmers in the tail end areas have been unable to receive water, affecting the cultivation in the region. Also, earthen channels feeding water to small waterbodies like lakes and ponds to recharge groundwater have also been affected due to the water seepage.
As a solution, the WRD has decided to replace the existing earthen water distribution channels with concrete structures, especially in tail end areas.
Every year, 4 tmc of water is stored in the dam for irrigation. The dam also helps to store water in 88 tanks along the route in these districts. While water from the dam’s Left Bank Canal feeds 30 tanks in Tiruvannamalai, and 10 in Villupuram, the Right Bank Canal is connected to 48 tanks in Villupuram.
The dam also provides at least 2 tmc of water for the domestic consumption of residents in at least 150 villages and major towns including Chengam and Tiruvannamalai, all the while maintaining the deck storage level of 56 ft.
