Perumpallam Canal restoration project nears completion after prolonged delay

Work to develop the Perumpallam Canal is nearing completion in Erode in Tamil Nadu.

| Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M.

The long-delayed ₹200.71-crore Perumpallam Canal restoration project is finally nearing completion, with officials stating that the remaining works will be completed within two weeks.Once an important irrigation canal, the 12.15-km Perumpallam Canal passes through Nanjanapuram, Thindal, Sengodampalayam, Surampatti, Stoney Bridge and Marapalam. An anicut at Surampatti diverts water into the Nanjai Uthukuli Canal, which irrigates more than 500 acres. The downstream stretch of the canal empties into the Cauvery near Vendipalayam. However, encroachments, indiscriminate dumping of garbage, and the discharge of sewage and effluents have severely degraded the watercourse over the years.In 2019, during the AIADMK regime, the Corporation drew up the restoration project to revive the canal. The works included desilting, concrete lining, construction of retaining walls, check dams and four bridges across the canal. The project also envisaged landscaping, development of green spaces and recreational facilities, including dedicated cycling and walking tracks.Although work commenced in December 2019 and was scheduled for completion by December 2021, the project was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, interruptions during the two Erode (East) Assembly by-elections, and legal hurdles, extending it into its sixth year.While most of the civil works have been completed, delays in relocating 320 families to tenements constructed by the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board at Chithode further slowed the project.A senior Corporation engineer told The Hindu that only a few works remained and would be completed within two weeks. He said the project would prevent rainwater from entering houses located along the canal.However, sources said the proposed landscaping, green spaces and recreational facilities, including cycling and walking tracks, had been dropped from the project and would not be implemented. Published - June 30, 2026 06:50 pm IST