With water in catchment areas to Bhavanisagar dam in Erode dropping over the years, farmers are urging the T.N. government to carry out a detailed study, to divert water from the Pandiyar river in the Nilgiris to the Moyar river, so that water for irrigation and for drinking, would be continually available.
The river Bhavani originates in Kundha in the Nilgiris, while the Moyar originates in Gudalur – Mukurthi and enters the Bhavanisagar dam. Water is released from the dam into river Bhavani, the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal, the Kalingarayan canal, and the Arakkankottai and Thadapalli canals, to help irrigate over 2 lakh acres in Erode, Tiruppur and Karur.
Also, water drawn from river Bhavani under the upcoming Athikadavu -Avinashi project is due to recharge water bodies and help in irrigation in Erode, Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts. But, due to poor rain in the catchment areas, adequate water is not available in the dam for cultivation and drinking water purposes.
