Constitution of task force to modernise Cauvery delta announced

Chennai, Apr 10 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Duraimurugan today announced in the state Assembly the constitution of a task force to rehabilitate and modernise the Cauvery delta.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for his Department, he said senior engineer A Mohanakrishnan would be the advisor of the task force, which would be headed by Tiruchirapalli zone Chief Engineer.

He said the task force would undertake a study and submit its report before July and the same could be examined and posed for external funding.

The modernisation was long due, but the state government could not take up the project due to the pendency of Cauvery water dispute before the tribunal. Now that the dispute has reached the final stage, the government thought it fit to initiate steps to get it done, he added.

Mr Duraimurugan said the Cauvery delta was a natural formation and the river Cauvery branched off to 36 rivers spreading and irrigating over 10 lakh acres.

Since they were natural river and meant to carry drainages also, modernisation of the delta had been long over due and attempts to undertake this with the help of external funding could not materialise in the past as Karnataka was opposing, citing the pendency of the case, though the proposals were found acceptable to the Centre, he said.

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