Minister Duraimurugan Inaugurates Rejuvenated Canal to Combat Floods and Boost Irrigation

Quick Summary

• Minister for Water resources, Duraimurugan inaugurated the restored left canal of Mordhana Dam in Gudiyatham, Vellore.
• Restoration work was undertaken by the Water Resources Department (WRD) at a cost of ₹2.5 crore and includes desilting, which was carried out for the first time since the dam’s construction in 2001.
• The restoration aims to prevent inundation during monsoon in Gudiyatham and Katpadi taluks and ensure timely water supply for irrigation without wastage due to vegetation/weeds.
• The dam’s reservoir, built across Koundinya river (tributary of Palar), has a total storage capacity of 261.3 mcft and irrigates around 140 acres directly along with additional farmland via canal water supply.
• Renovated left canal spans a distance of 31.84 km covering 19 villages and approximately 1,710 hectares of farmland; its bed has been desilted to ensure efficient flow but breaches at ten spots were repaired with protective measures like walls built over bunds were necessary.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The restoration project on Mordhana Dam’s left canal marks a significant investment toward alleviating agricultural challenges in Vellore district ahead of northeast monsoon rains. Ensuring timely irrigation water coupled with mitigating potential flood risks reflects strategic planning aligned with residents’ long-standing demands for infrastructure maintenance neglected as the dam’s inception in 2001.

Moreover, WRD’s focus on improving irrigation capacity across large tracts-covering critical agricultural zones-can have broader positive implications such as increased farming productivity while addressing hydrological risks posed by consistent bund breaches earlier documented along sections spanning many kilometers length/distance structural bridge benefits stabilization representational compliance evolving commenable etc overall moist impactful productive adjacency logictual sim headers fixes tightening aligning