Preliminary work to begin shortly on Rettaikulam – Ooththumalai Periyakulam canal connection project
The Tamil Nadu government is set to begin work on the long-delayed Rettaikulam – Ooththumalai Periyakulam canal connection project. The initiative aims to store surplus water from the Chittar river to irrigate 7,500 acres of land and improve groundwater levels.
Why it matters
The project addresses long-standing water scarcity issues in the region, potentially boosting agricultural productivity and local water security.
Minister for Environment V. K. Rajeev has informed that preliminary work on implementing the Rettaikulam – Ooththumalai Periyakulam canal connection project would commence shortly.
Inaugurating the 5-day-long ‘Saral Thiruvizha’, the annual cultural festival, at Courtallam on Friday, Mr. Rajeev said the Tamil Nadu government was keen on translating the 64-year-old dream of implementing the Rettaikulam – Ooththumalai Periyakulam canal connection project into reality.
During active monsoons, the surplus water of Chittar enters the Tamirabharani only to be wasted as millions of cubic feet of water gets drained into the sea. Hence, a new linking canal from Rettaikulam near Surandai to the Ooththumalai periyakulam for storing the surplus water and 18 other irrigation tanks en-route was planned. Besides immensely recharging the groundwater table, the project will irrigate 7,500 acres of land in this dry region.
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