NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), on Tuesday, announced that vital work of the permanent diversion of the Upper Paravanar Canal had been completed on Monday, August 21, 2023.
According to an official press note, of the total stretch of 12 km, the major portion of 10.5 km had already been completed while the remaining portion of 1.5 km was completed on Monday.
The Paravanar river course is located 60 metres from Mines 2. The river handles stormwater from a catchment area of more than 100 sq. km from the northwest and southern areas of the region. With several villages located in the catchment areas, NLCIL took up the critical task of the permanent diversion of the Upper Paravanar Canal to safeguard these habitats as well as agricultural fields from inundation during incessant and heavy rains.
NLCIL said the diversion work of the Upper Paravanar Canal involved a total length of 12 km across 18 hectares. With the commissioning of the present canal, an additional extent of agricultural lands will now get water for irrigation. In addition, the continuous source of water in Paravanar will help in augmentation of groundwater availability, NLCIL said.
Work on the canal had run into a controversy, even though NLCIL has maintained that notice was served on all farmers in December 2022 that land would be taken up for the diversion. The Madras High Court on August 2, 2023 ordered ₹40,000 in compensation per acre, to 88 farmers whose paddy crops, raised unauthorisedly on this land that was acquired many years ago by NLCIL, were damaged recently for the canal diversion work.
