Erode: Housing and Urban Development Minister S. Muthusamy inaugurated the Athikadavu-Avinashi project on August 17, 2024.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development S. Muthusamy has said that extra water from the Bhavani river and seepage in the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal would be enough to supply the newly commissioned Athikadavu-Avinashi project with water for 70 days.
He further stated during a press conference at Pumping Station I in Bhavani after launching it by Chief Minister M.K Stalin through video conferencing that was designed to draw additional water of about 1.5 TMC for a period of 70 days from downstream of Kalingarayan anicut located on Bhavani. “The river had more than 1,000 cusecs of surplus water on Friday (August 16, 2024), but this reduced to less than 600 cusecs on Saturday. The entire project requires constant water supply so as to fill all its one thousand and forty-five bodies spread across three districts,” he added.
Also, an investigation done by WRD revealed how much LBP canal leakage would assist the plan. He said: “Water was sent into LBP canal on August 15th while after fifteen days; there might be enough underground release for sufficiency.”
Mr. Muthusamy clarified that farmers beneath the third pumping station were not among those who gain from the scheme but such people were later convinced to give their lands: “It took time during COVID-19 pandemic; however, after getting consent for land acquisition and right of way for pipeline laying from farmers we started working on September 29th, 2022. Two years later we completed it on January 23rd, 2023.”
Clarifying why the project took too long before completion Mr.Muthusamy said correcting most of the 83 feeder lines that were laid three years ago after a delay in getting permission from farmers and inability to get excess water have delayed the start of the trial run. In few days, it will be possible to compensate the farmers and assure that government is on their side.
The Minister was asked whether this project was inaugurated just after BJP announced its intention to protest from August 20, 2024. “There is only enough water now,” he noted. He also observed that government did not waste any day towards implementing the plan. The Minister pointed out that only 1,045 water bodies are being filled by this project; therefore, more can only be done in case phase two is carried out.
