CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin has issued orders to restore 5,000 water bodies through the state rural development department at a cost of Rs 500 crore.
State rural development minister I Periasamy, in a statement, said that the CM had issued an order to restore 5,000 of the 22,051 small irrigation lakes under the control of the state rural development department and urged officials to complete the task on time.
The major objective of the scheme is to mechanise desilting and deepening of the small irrigation lakes, repair and refurbish sluices, apart from improving other infrastructure.
Orders have also been issued to desilt connecting water channels with the participation of the people.
Stating that the renovation of the lakes would augment their storage capacity and improve irrigation of cultivable lands, minister Periasamy said that the works would also prevent surplus water from draining into the seas or inundating neighbourhoods.
The initiative thus would go a great extent in averting flooding and drought and contributing greatly to disaster management efforts, the minister said.
Adding that the works would also be taken up under the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) if necessary, the minister said that lake bunds would be strengthened and local tree saplings, including palm trees, would be planted along the lake bunds. The works would be executed with financial contributions from government and non-government organisations, social groups, farmers' associations, and educational institutions with public participation.
Works on the remaining small irrigation lakes would be taken up with funds from the government and panchayats, the minister added.