Ryots plea to renovate LBP main canal

A request has been made to start the renovation work in Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) main canal immediately as per the HC order.Regarding this, the secretary of the Kilbhavani Ayakattu Irrigation Association, K.V. Ponnaiyan said: The sluice area of the canal have collapsed at the 58th mile of the canal at Vavikadai near Perundurai a few days back. Next to it, a huge sinkhole appeared near a sluice and that too was blocked. 

After 3 days of struggle, the PWD officials checked further breaches by dumping sand bags in the damaged areas. They have made temporary protection to the canal. In the case, held in the High Court on August 11, Judge Satish Kumar said that the renovation work of the canal should be done for the benefit of the people. Appearing on behalf of the government in the court, Tamil Nadu Chief Public Prosecutor Shanmugasundaram said that although the contract was awarded for 24 months for the repair work of the canal, the period of work could be 6 months only in a year when water was not released. 

During this period of 6 months the work has been interrupted by some persons. So, the contractors are not responsible for the delay in carrying out the works. He told the court that the government would be supportive to execute the contract by giving necessary time.

 Hearing this view,  the judge accepted the view of the government as this renovation work is a huge one aiming to protect the canal. So, the contractors are required time to implement it and ordered the police  to provide adequate security to the contract firm's machinery and the workers. Ponnaiyan said accordingly, the court order was sent to the police officials concerned in the irrigation areas of Erode, Tirupur, Karur Districts. 

It has only been 15 days since the water was opened. The rainy season has not yet started. Now, 2000 cusecs of water as against 2300 cusecs was flowing in the canal. As the rainy season is approaching, the water resources department has identified the weak areas in the canal and was dumping sandbags as a precautionary measure to prevent damages in the respective areas. 

The water resources department was said to be kept around 5,000 sandbags for this purpose. So, rehabilitation works to save the canal should continue to be held without hindrance. The ryots have submitted a petition to the Chief Minister M.K.Stalin regarding the necessity of carrying out the canal maintenance work. 

At that time, the Chief Minister was given a copy of the Court judgment and photographs illustrating the broken areas in the canal. He said that the Chief Minister should immediately issue an order to start the repair work in the canal.