The State Highways Department has accelerated the desilting of a key canal near Tiruvannamalai town to prevent flooding of the temple town during Northeast monsoon, especially the Karthigai Deepam festival season.
Officials of State Highways, which maintains the canal, said that the excess rainwater from Samuthiram tank, which is maintained by Tiruvannamalai Corporation, gets discharged into the canal before falling into Thurunjal river, a tributary of Then Pennai river. The desilting work of the canal is being done after many years. “Desilting will prevent the inundation of tail-end areas of the Corporation (Tiruvannamalai) during the monsoon. The temple town will be free from waterlogging,” S. Anbarasu, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), State Highways, told The Hindu.
Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu inspected the ongoing desilting work with Tiruvannamalai Collector K. Tharpagaraj and Corporation Commissioner S. Selva Balaji. “Houses in the low-lying areas of the town are prone to waterlogging. Such desilting work of key waterbodies will help to prevent inundation in these areas,” said K. Sampath, a resident.
Councillors urge Tirunelveli Corporation to complete desilting of drainage, storm-water channels before October 15
