Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore   

Master plan to tackle floods in Cuddalore

Special Correspondent

With mid and long-term measures it envisages improving entire irrigation system It has been proposed to shorten Paravanar's course and drain it in the Bay of Bengal at a point named Aruvalmookku

CUDDALORE: Based on the experience gained from the recent floods, Cuddalore district administration has prepared a master plan to be implemented in phases to tackle floods. The execution of the first phase of the plan is estimated to cost Rs 261.82 crores.

The master plan is aimed at taking both mid-and long-term measures, the Collector Gagandeep Singh Bedi revealed this at the Farmers' Grievance Day session held here on Friday.

Mr Bedi said the excessive rainfall and unprecedented floods during 2005 left a trail of devastation. Standing crops on over 70,784 hectares were damaged, thus affecting 1,15,621 small and marginal farmers, and 8,537 big farmers.

Crop loss

The crop loss was as follows: paddy - 60,320 ha, paddy nursery - 19.63 ha, groundnut - 6,651 ha, sugarcane - 1,304 ha, sunflower - 248 ha, cotton - 52 ha, cowpea - 11 ha, blackgram - 1,088 ha, coconut - 0.09 ha, casuarina - 41.89 ha, and maize - 1,133 ha.

In addition, horticulture crops on over 7,867 ha were submerged, thereby causing heavy losses to 23,945 more farmers. The relief package would soon be released, he said.

The master plan envisaged improving entire irrigation system in the district, encompassing the Old Coleroon, the Coleroon and the Vellar basins and major anicuts. The wealth of information obtained by the officials on relief operation was helpful in the making of the master plan.

K.Ilango, Agiricultural Officer, told The Hindu that the officials had identified the weak points on the riverbanks and suggested the ways to strengthen them.

Course diversion

The master plan also will focus on diversion of river course wherever necessary to avert inundation of farms and sand casting. The proposal to divert the Sengal Odai and Karuvattu Odai, feeding channels of the Veeranam tank, to the Coleroon was also under consideration.

Owing to enormous flow in these channels, the storage in the tank exceeded its maximum storage level— ie., at one point the level stood at 50 ft as against the maximum level of 47.5 ft.

When the excess water was let out, the downstream crops were submerged. It was hoped that the diversion or curtailing the flow in these channels might safeguard the Veeranam tank and crops in the ayacut.

The Paravanar that was once considered a "gift of the farmers," had now become the "woes of the farmers," because the swollen river had caused enormous damage. Hence, it had been proposed to shorten its course, and drain it in the Bay of Bengal at a point named Aruvalmookku, instead of at Cuddalore Port area.

District administration had sought a financial assistance of Rs 25 crores from Neyveli Lignite Corporation for regulating the Paravanar system. Mr Bedi said Rs 4.18 crores had been allotted from the National Food for Work Programme for some of these works.

Once the State Government sanctioned the funds the master plan would come to fruition, Mr Bedi added.

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Master plan to tackle floods in Cuddalore

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