Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Sunday announced the release of water from two reservoirs in Krishnagiri district to facilitate irrigation. The water will be released from the Krishnagiri and Kelavarapalli reservoirs from Monday onwards and the move will benefit the farmers who hope to raise crop on over 17,000 acres of agricultural land.
“The decision to release water follows a request from the farmers in the region,” Ms Jayalalithaa said in a release here. The Kelavarapalli reservoir is 10 km from Hosur and 8 km from Karnataka, across the river Ponniar, which originates from the eastern slopes of Chennakesava Hills.
In addition to serving the agricultural needs in the district, the Kelavarapalli reservoir project, established in 1995, is also a popular picnic spot at Hosur. It is popular for its children’s park and landscaped gardens.
The Krishnagiri dam, built across the Thenpennai river, is located about 7 km from Krishnagiri and irrigates thousands of acres of land around Krishnagiri. The dam is operational from 1958. In another statement, CM Jayalalithaa condoled the death of four persons killed in wild elephant attacks and announced total relief of Rs 12 lakh to their families.
Expressing her sympathies to the bereaved families of the four persons killed in wild elephant attacks in Nilgiri (two victims), Coimbatore and Krishnagiri districts, she said, “I have ordered to provide Rs 3 lakh each as relief through the Forest department immediately to the families of persons killed in these incidents.”
