TN Govt to implement flood preventation programme

Tiruchirapalli, June 4 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu government will soon take up the pending flood prevention programme for Tiruchirapalli at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

Launching the Rs two a kg rice scheme in the district here today, State Transport Minister K N Nehru said he had taken up the matter with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.The latter had assured that the programme would be included in the ensuing state budget and the allocation made accordingly.

He said Public Works Minister Duraimurugan will inspect the flood prone areas before the programme is implemented.

Tiruchirapalli city is highly flood prone due to the presence of a number of water bodies set up by the ancient Chola rulers, criss-crossing the city. The Cauvery and Coleroon rivers also pass through the city. The irrigation channels like Uyyakkondan, Kudamurutti also pose a threat during the monsoon season.

It may be recalled that the earlier DMK government had mooted a flood prevention scheme years ago with an outlay of Rs 50 crore, following the 1999 floods. However, it was not not implemented.

The Tiruchirapalli District again witnessed the worst-ever floods last year due to heavy rains and inflows into Cauvery and Coleroon rivers, and the irrigation channels in the district.

Many residential localities were submerged and several casualities were also reported.

The river conservancy division of the Public Works Department (PWD) had sent a proposal to the then AIADMK government last January seeking a Rs 384 crore allocation to check floods and inundation in three districts of Tiruchirapalli, Karur and Perambalur in the Cauvery Delta and to strength the Cauvery and Coleroon banks to a cumulative length of 225 km.

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