27-04-2025
Minister inaugurates water collection structure maintenance works in Salem
Tourism Minister R. Rajendran on Sunday inaugurated water collection structure maintenance works in the district under the Integrated Watershed Water Collection Structures Maintenance Programme at Malliyakarai in Attur taluk.
Mr. Rajendran told reporters that in a move to rejuvenate water harvesting structures, including check dams, ponds, seepage ponds, canals, and streams that were created by the Tamil Nadu Watershed Development Agency, maintenance works were carried out for the last four years. This included removing shrubs and vegetation. As many as 52 works would be carried out in 2025-26 in Salem district under this programme at ₹15.68 lakh. This was expected to improve groundwater levels, increase water storage capacity to 31,000 cubic metres, and benefit 300 farmers.
About 200 works were carried out at ₹41.36 lakhs since 2021-22, the Minister added.
The Minister said that under the Special Desilting Works Scheme of the Water Resources Department, desilting of channels and water bodies were going on at ₹2.2 crore in the district. In the past four years, on behalf of Agricultural Engineering Department, projects worth ₹31.55 crore were implemented and on behalf of the Water Resources Department, works worth ₹28.83 crore were carried out. These included a barrage constructed at ₹3.80 crore at Kanavaikadu, 54 works under the Special Desilting Works Scheme at ₹4.20 crore, and barrages across the Sarabanga River, Krishnapuram, and Lathuvadi Streams at ₹7 crore, he said.
