Aathupalayam dam in Karur full, opened for crops

Opening the sluices of the dam, Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji said that based on the storage and anticipating huge flow due to monsoon rains, 75 cusecs has been released into Noyyal main canal for irrigation which will be stepped up to 136 cusecs gradually.

While the excess water from the lower Bhavani dam will flow into the Noyyal and run to a distance of 30 km up to Muthur and then it would be stored at Chinna Muthur barrage in Tirupur district. Later it would be released for irrigation.

“Due to continuous rains, the Aathupalayam dam has reached its full capacity of 235.52 mcft. Following this the dam has been opened to irrigate 19,480 acres of farmlands in over 10 villages, including Anjur, Thukkachi, Karvazhi, Thennilai, Munnur, Athipalayam, Kuppam, Manmangalam and Panchamadevi,” said the Minister.

Stating that the DMK government was poised to usher in development in Karur district, Senthilbalaji said that the government has upgraded the Karur municipality into a corporation, brought two barrages and check dams on the Cauvery and Amaravati rivers and SIPCOT project in an area of 200 acres has been provided to the district. Many more projects, including the development of Aathupalayam dam, would soon be announced, said the Minister.

District Collector Dr T Prabhushankar, MLAs and others were present on the occasion.