82% of desilting work completed in Cauvery delta: Duraimurugan

CHENNAI: After Chief Minister M K Stalin opened the shutters of Mettur dam, Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan on Tuesday said that 82 per cent of the desilting works in Cauvery delta has been completed and the remaining works will be completed by the end of May.

"Out of the total 4,964 kilometres of water ways in Cauvery Delta region 4,047 kilometres of waterways are desilted which amounts to 82 per cent of the total works. Desilting is carried out at a rapid phase and will be completed by May 31,” said Duraimurugan, in a statement.

For the first time after Independence, Mettur dam had been opened in the month of May to facilitate Kuruvai cultivation and farmers in Delta celebrated the opening of water by distributing sweets. Duraimurugan said that desilting works in all the major river tributaries were completed and the deselting works are carried out only in canals.

"210 kilometers of waterways are desilted in Cauvery Delta per day using additional equipment to make sure that the released Cauvery water reaches all the rivers and canals to reach the tail end of the Delta,” he added.

Are you in Chennai? Then click here to get our newspaper at your doorstep!