Aragalur

Veeranam tank under constant surveillance

The Hindu
Monday, Nov 08, 2004

Veeranam tank under constant surveillance

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, NOV. 7. The Veeranam tank is under constant surveillance after the damage caused to crops and property by heavy and sudden discharge from the tank recently.

The Cuddalore Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, directed the Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) to camp at the Lalpet guesthouse on the southern side of the tank to constantly monitor the inflow and the outflow.

He asked PWD officials to maintain the level at 45 feet (maximum level of 45.5 ft), and regulate the outflow.

In a statement here, Mr. Bedi said the inflow on Saturday was 3,000 cusecs and the outflow to the Sethiathope dam 1,934 cusecs, the Vilangiyan Odai 1,060 cusecs and for Chennai 76 cusecs.

Marooned

He said of 901 villages in the district, 287 were marooned.

As many as 434 tenements were fully damaged and 4,724 partially damaged

The recent rain caused extensive damage to 121 km of highways and 518 km of interior roads.

`Strengthen bunds'

The State president of the United Farmers' Association, C.Vaiyapuri, has appealed to the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, Chennai, to check the strength of the bunds of the Periyeri checkdam across the Vasishta river.

In a statement today, Mr. Vaiyapuri said that the Periyeri checkdam, built in 2002 in Aragalur village (on the Salem— Villupuram border), received floods for the first time.

It emerged as an important feeder canal for 27 irrigation tanks in Villupuram and Cuddalore districts.

The best way to check the bunds' strength was to discharge water from the Kariakoil reservoir, he said.