CHENNAI: Amidst heavy downpour in southern districts, which resulted in fast filling of water bodies, the Tamil Nadu government has commenced trial run of releasing surplus water from Thamirabarani river through flood carrier canals from Kannadian channel to drought prone areas in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts.

Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday held a meeting with State Water Resource department minister Duraimurugan and senior officials of the department and directed them to commence the trial run to divert the surplus water from Thamirabarani to Sathankulam, Thisayanvilai. "We have started the trail run by 4 pm following the communication (from top officials from the department), " said an official in Tirunelveli.

The flood carrier canal was excavated as part of the Rs 933.23 crore Thamirabarani, Karumeniyar and Nambiyar interlinking project. It was designed to utilise 2,765 million cubic feet (mcft) of water out of 13,758 mcft of surplus flood water from Thamirabarani river. It would supply water to 177 tanks, 2657 wells in 32 villages in Tirunelveli district and 75 tanks, 2563 wells in 18 villages in Thoothukudi district, said the official.