Tiruvallur district administration ropes in infra firms to desilt channels; 150 km of waterways to be cleared ahead of monsoon

Several agricultural channels in Tiruvallur district, covering over 1,600 hectares of farmlands, have been desilted and cleared of bushes as part of the district administration’s monsoon preparedness work.

“Work is being taken up in nearly 150 km of channels that mostly cover agricultural lands and are flood-prone. At present, work is under way at seven locations, and once those stretches are completed, we will take up clearing in a few more spots,” said District Collector M. Prathap.

The district administration is utilising the services of large construction firms that are involved in the laying of roads in Tiruvallur. L&T, Tata, and SPK have donated their equipment, including earthmovers, and operators, he added.

An official involved in the clearing of bushes said that so far, over 20 km of channels have been cleaned in the Minjur and Uthukottai blocks. Channels that carry water from and to waterbodies like the Poondi reservoir are being cleaned, as well as those carrying water to the Bay of Bengal.

“Some of these villages can be reached only via six to seven villages along the channels. This cleaning operation will ensure that water reaches every field, including those at the tail end. It will help recharge groundwater and prevent flooding of fields during monsoon,” the official said.

The channels are quite broad (over 5 m) and deep (over 10 ft), and that is why they cannot be desilted manually. “We need such heavy machinery because there are very large bushes growing inside. The equipment also helps strengthen the bunds as the excess earth is placed outside the channels,” she explained. 

Flooding of agricultural lands is a major problem during the rains for farmers in Tiruvallur district. “It is good that the district administration is taking efforts to desilt the channels. It is even more important that locals take steps to ensure that the earth does not slide back inside. Afforestation by planting palm seeds is a good option. Two years ago, we had planted palm seeds along our lake, and they are now around two feet tall,” said Sivaprakasam, a farmer of Mambakkam near Uthukottai.

Another farmer said: “There have been times when we would have planted seedlings that are under 20 days old, and the fields would get inundated. We would then drain the lands and plant fresh seedlings, only for them to be inundated again in the next round of rains. In places like Minjur, where farmers plant only one paddy crop, water stagnation would mean a huge loss to their livelihoods.”