Work on check dam across Palar with DAE aid begins

The Department of Atomic Energy-funded check dam, a long-pending proposal, estimated at Rs 32.50 crore, aims to tackle seawater intrusion and augment supply for various drinking water schemes, an official release here said.

"The 1.190 km long check dam would help retain the floodwater that would otherwise flow into the sea. The check dam will provide an additional storage capacity of up to 1,500 million cubic metres with two fillings, and nearly 330 hectares of agricultural land would benefit through this scheme," the release said. The project is funded by the DAE and executed through its General Services Organisation (GSO), Kalpakkam. It will be implemented by the State Government's Water Resources Department (WRD).

On completion of the check dam by March 2020, the water stored and recharged would be used for domestic and agricultural purposes in the surrounding areas.

The traditional 'bhumi puja' was performed to mark the commencement of the construction work at Vayalur village in the district.

State Ministers C Ve Shanmugam (Law and Prisons) and P Benjamin (Rural Industries), A K Bhaduri, Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and M Srinivas, Station Director, Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), Kalpakkam, among others were present during the occasion.