Minister inaugurates check dam across Ponnai river near Katpadi

Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan speaking after the inaguration of Kugaiyanallur check dam across the Ponnai river near Thiruvalam on Saturday.

Three years after the check dam built in 1857 was badly damaged during November 2021 floods, the ₹12.70 crore check dam across the Ponnai, a tributary of the Palar, at Kugaiyanallore village in Katpadi was opened on Saturday.

Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan inaugurated the new check dam in the presence of Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi and DMK MP D.M. Kathir Anand. “The new dam will help to tap excess rainwater that gets discharged into the river during monsoon. It will boost farming due to availability of groundwater round the year,” S. Gopi, Assistant Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department, told The Hindu. 

Funded under the Permanent Floods Restoration Scheme 2021-22, the new check dam, which was built by WRD with funds from NABARD, is 270 metres long and 1.5 metres wide. It can store excess rainwater to a distance of around 750 metres.

It is a lifeline for at least 15 villages including Melpadi, Vallimalai, Vennpalai, Kottanatham, Lalapettai, Vasur and Kondakuppam in Vellore and Ranipet districts. Paddy is the chief crop in these villages where farming is done twice a year. Most of the farmers depend on deep farm wells to irrigate their lands especially during summer.

The new dam would help irrigate at least 750 acres of farmland in the region. It will also help to recharge over 40 farm wells, benefitting at least 6,000 residents including 450 farmers. “It will help us cultivate paddy and other crops at least thrice a year. With a good monsoon, the new facility will help to increase groundwater in the region,” said K. Raman, a farmer. 

The damage of the decades-old check dam during the floods, resulted in the wastage of excess rainwater that gets discharged into Bay of Bengal during monsoon. Farmers along Palar and Ponnai rivers were severely affected. Water supply for domestic consumption was also irregular due to dry wells and riverbeds.

After repeated pleas by farmers in the region, work for the new check dam began in December 2022 after getting necessary nod from the State government.

Many civic bodies in Vellore and Ranipet districts have sunk deep borewells in the riverbed near the check dam to source water for consumption.