The Water Resources Department (WRD) plans to construct 27 check dams across 13 districts in Tamil Nadu to manage floodwater and increase groundwater storage. This project, costing ₹206.75 crore, was announced by N. Anand, the Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources, during a discussion in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
One of these check dams will be built on the Amaravati River near Melapalayam village in Karur district. In Madurai, two bed dams will be constructed to reduce riverbed erosion and enhance groundwater recharge at a cost of ₹31.50 crore.
The minister invited MLAs to join monthly meetings with WRD officials to discuss local issues and find quick solutions. He also mentioned that decisions on water release from the Mettur dam for irrigation will soon be made, while storage levels are being monitored.
Additionally, the department will undertake 96 projects to repair, renovate, and restore existing irrigation infrastructure across 30 districts, including Tiruchi, at a cost of ₹695.42 crore. To conserve groundwater, 1,628 artificial recharge structures will be installed in 35 districts for ₹28.9 crore.
As part of disaster management, flood protection walls worth ₹218.29 crore are planned for 19 districts, including the Adyar area in Chennai. A section near Jaffarkhanpet on the Adyar River will cost ₹25 crore to build.
Other projects include restoring dam infrastructure in 11 districts like Coimbatore and Tiruppur at a cost of ₹246.93 crore, repairing seawalls in north Chennai, and creating an impact assessment report for existing schemes.
Under rural development initiatives, the department will improve 3,200 km of roads under panchayat jurisdiction at a cost of ₹1,634 crore. Ponds will be built at 10,000 new rural sites for water conservation and irrigation, costing ₹650 crore.
A Citizen Participation mobile app will be developed to gather feedback on rural development schemes, along with a Panchayat Development Index to evaluate village performance. Restoration of inlet channels and construction of new check dams and dykes are also planned.