Siruthuli steps up restoration of anicuts in Noyyal river system

Siruthuli has taken up the restoration of anicuts and check dams along the Noyyal river system to improve water storage and flow of water to connected tanks.
The organisation has completed work at the Chadivayal check dam, the Mundathurai structure supported by Pricol, the Pudukadu and Kuniyamuthur anicuts supported by
Karur Vysya Bank, and the Perur anicut. Work is under way at the Kurichi
anicut with financial support from Rotary Coimbatore Central. The Noyyal flows for about 160 km from the Western Ghats through Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Karur districts.
The Coimbatore stretch of the river system has 20 anicuts and 28 tanks, which are linked through supply channels.
Its basin covers about 3,550 sq. km. The river system comprises several streams and a network of anicuts and tanks that have historically supported irrigation in the region.
At Chadivayal, the structure can now hold about 30 lakh litres of water, while the Mundathurai structure can hold about 50 lakh litres. At Pudukadu, silt had reduced the capacity to about 1,000 lakh litres. Desilting has increased its capacity to about 35 lakh litres.
The Kuniyamuthur anicut can now hold about 40 lakh litres and supplies water to five lakes.
The Kurichi anicut, which has reportedly not been desilted for nearly 30 years, is being restored to improve the diversion of Noyyal water into the 334-acre Kurichi tank.
The anicut has five shutters, three of which divert water to the tank.
Encroachments along the anicut stretch are proposed to be cleared in coordination with the Water Resources Department.