Work begins to desilt Kalingarayan Canal's baby channel
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has begun work to desilt the baby channel of the Kalingarayan Canal to ensure the free flow of sewage.
The 91.1-km-long Kalingarayan Canal, constructed by the Kongu chieftain Kalingarayan in the 13th century, irrigates 15,743 acres across the Erode, Modakkurichi, and Kodumudi taluks. A baby channel was constructed 11 years ago from Bhavani to Vairapalayam to address pollution caused by the dumping of household waste and the discharge of industrial effluents. The project aimed to treat sewage and discharge processed water into the Cauvery River. However, untreated sewage continues to flow directly into the Cauvery, as there is no effluent treatment plant in place.
Currently, clogging in the baby channel, caused by weeds and plastic waste, is preventing the flow of water. Farmers and residents have been urging the WRD to undertake desilting of the channel.
On Thursday, Minister for Housing, Prohibition, and Excise, S. Muthusamy, inaugurated desilting work along a 20-km stretch of the baby canal, at a total cost of ₹28.25 lakh. The work began from the Kalingarayan anicut in Bhavani up to the 12/3rd mile. An earthmover has been deployed to remove weeds and dumped waste. The Minister stated that the work will be completed within a month, after which the flow of water will no longer be disrupted.
The WRD has already submitted a proposal to extend the baby channel by an additional six km, from Vairapalayam to Vendipalayam. The proposal has been approved by the State government. A senior WRD engineer said that the proposal also includes development works in the Kalingarayan Canal, with both projects estimated to cost ₹83.30 crore in total. A government order for the works is expected soon, after which construction will commence.
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