Tirupur: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said here on Saturday that the Avinashi-Athikadavu water scheme, crucial for the arid regions of the western belt including Tirupur district, would be completed within 30 months of release of sanctioned funds by the state government. The project is being executed at a cost of Rs 1, 500 crore.
Speaking at the MGR centenary year celebrations meeting here, he said, “the Avinashi-Athikadavu scheme will benefit farmers in the districts of Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode. The long pending scheme was considered following the demands of farmers from this region and Rs 250 crore was already allocated for conducting the feasibility study. The scheme requires 1.50 tmcft of water for filling water to 30 lakes under the Public Works Department (PWD), 41 lakes in panchayat union limits and also 630 small ponds in the region. There is need for pumping of about 750 cusecs of water per day and it requires 70 days pumping to get the required water for the scheme.”
Mr Palaniswami said the study was conducted considering two project scenarios that could be doable. He said that the pumping of required quantity of water from the Bhavani river through Kalingarayan canal has been now found to be feasible and the project would be launched soon.
Detailing the project cost, the Chief Minister said, “If the scheme would be taken up as per the previous plan by getting funds from the Central government, it will take nearly seven years to complete. The new plan will only require 30 months to complete the project. The Tamil Nadu government will allocate Rs 1,500 crore from the state exchequer and the tender notification would be released in December this year”
Mr Palaniswami also promised that the scheme for 'Neera tapping' from coconut trees would be implemented soon for helping farmers from this region to get more income through coconut farming. He assured that all the schemes announced under Rule 110 in the State Assembly would be executed without fail.
He noted that the desilting of 1,509 lakes with outlay of Rs 100 crore was nearing completion and the desilting of 2,065 more lakes in the State at a cost of '300 crore would be taken up soon.
To mark the MGR centenary celebrations, the Chief Minister laid foundation for 13 new development works with an outlay of Rs 13.24 crore in Tirupur district. He opened eight new buildings constructed by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board and Animal Husbandry department with a cost of Rs 207.37 crore. He also handed welfare assistance to the tune of Rs 220 crore for 21,099 beneficiaries at the function.
The Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Mr. P Dhanapal chaired the function. State Housing and Urban Development minister, Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, minister for Forests, Dindigul C Sreenivasan, minister for School Education, K A Sengottaiyan, minister for Co-operation, Sellur K Raju, Chief Secretary, Ms Girija Vaidyanathan, the Tirupur district collector K S Palanisamy ,MPs and MLAs were among those who took part in the function.
