Rs 25 Crore Wall Planned Along Adyar River at Jafferkhanpet to Curb Floods

Water Resources Minister N. Anand announced the construction of a flood mitigation wall along the river Adyar on the lower side of the Jafferkhanpet bridge at an estimated cost of Rs. 25 crore. The announcement was made on Wednesday during a discussion on the demand for grants for his ministry in the Assembly.

The project along the Adyar river aims to control floodwaters and protect nearby neighbourhoods from inundation during heavy rains. Alongside the flood barrier, the minister detailed a series of state-wide measures aimed at flood prevention, water conservation, and irrigation network upgrades.

As part of the wider initiatives, Anand announced that 27 check dams will be constructed across 13 districts with a budget of Rs. 206 crore. These check dams are intended to store excess flow in major rivers and raise local groundwater tables. In another coastal protection measure, a five-kilometre wall will be constructed along the Bay of Bengal from Nedugai to Nettukuppam in Tiruvottiyur to prevent sea erosion.

The minister also outlined allocations for river diversion and reservoir maintenance across several districts. Anicut systems will be set up at nine locations in six districts at a cost of Rs. 97 crore to divert river water into surrounding lakes. One major anicut will be built across the Cheyyar in Karaipoondi village to divert water to the Mandakolathur and Eeyakolathur lakes. In Karur, a check dam across the Amaravathi river at Melapalayam village will be built with an allocation of Rs. 34 crore.

Further allocations include Rs. 31 crore for two bed dams across the Vaigai river to channel water to the Kochadai, Achampathu, and Kridhumal canals. In Thanjavur, a Rs. 15 crore riverbed wall will be constructed at Madi village in Papanasam to arrest sand erosion and redirect Vennar river water into the Kalancheri canal.

To upgrade existing agricultural and water management networks, the state allocated Rs. 695 crore for the renovation and repair of irrigation structures. Sluice gates across seven districts will undergo repairs costing Rs. 19 crore, while maintenance operations will be carried out on 11 dams across eight districts at an expense of Rs. 94 crore.