Tamil Nadu - Erode   

Breach in LBP Canal plugged

PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN

Work apace: The LBP Canal bank reconstruction nearing completion. —

ERODE: Water in the Lower Bhavani Project Canal, in all probability, will be released on Wednesday evening. The water flow was stopped on Monday morning after the left bank of the canal breached at the 59th mile fourth furlong at Chinniampalayam village.

Public Works Department, Executive Engineer, Erode, H.J. Nanjan told ‘The Hindu’ that as the department had plugged the breach and was about to complete the bank reconstruction, it had requested the Bhavani Sagar dam authorities to release the water by 6 p.m.

“Initially the dam authorities will release 500 cusecs and scale it up every 12 hours, so that the reconstructed portion will be able to withstand the force of water,” he said and added that the water would take at least 30 hours to reach the reconstructed area.

Earlier on Wednesday, the department plugged the breach at 3 a.m. and only thereafter took up bank reconstruction.

“We first had to ensure that water was stopped, which we achieved at 3 a.m.

Thereafter, we took up filling sand in the damaged portion,” he said.

Mr. Nanjan said the department brought clay from Vellode Lake and sand from its lands across the district. “As on Wednesday alone, the department had used 1,500 cubic metres of gravel and 500 cubic metres of clay.” He added that there was difficulty in transporting clay from the lake, which delayed work.

The department would complete the work by Thursday evening, by which time the water would not have reached the reconstructed portion. The canal runs for 125 miles irrigating 2.07 lakh hectares in Erode and Karur districts.

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