The decades-old rusted sluice gates of the Sathanur dam across Thenpennai river in Tiruvannamalai has been replaced as part of repairs taken up recently.
Officials said the renovations were implemented by the Water Resources Department (WRD) under the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) to strengthen the dilapidated structure, especially its corroded sluice gates. “The repair work was laborious since it was started in 2020, amid the peak of the pandemic,” B. Rajesh, Assistant Engineer, WRD (Sathanur dam), told The Hindu.
Built in 1958, the Sathanur dam has a total capacity of 7,321 mcft and a total height of 119 ft. The dam helps irrigate 50,000 acres of farmlands in Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram and stores water in 88 tanks in the districts, which is used to supply at least 150 villages and major towns, including Chengam and Tiruvannamalai town.
