To recharge groundwater and save floodwater draining into the sea, the water resources department (WRD) plans to build checkdams across waterways in Kancheepuram district.
One of the checkdams, being built across Kiliyar river, a tributary of Palar river, will be ready to harness rainwater by September.
Two more proposed across other waterways will be completed next year.
Every year, Palar river, an important waterway running through the district, receives floodwater from areas upstream and tributaries like Cheyyar river and Kiliyar river.
But, most of it finally reaches the sea. The 220-km-long river, running through three districts, covers a distance of 90 km in Kancheepuram.
To harness the floodwater, WRD has proposed to construct a checkdam, a small wall-like structure, across Palar river, near Palur.
Officials said floodwater from Cheyyar river joins Palar near Palur, and there are not enough waterbodies to conserve the resources.
The proposed checkdam will help residents of 15 villages, including Pazhayaseevaram and Seethanjeri, and farmers and industries dependent on the river.
“Groundwater is now available only at a depth of 90-100 feet. We expect the water table to rise to 50 feet once the checkdam is built. We plan to start work on the Rs. 16.8-crore project next month, to retain water for three km,” said an official. There are also plans to construct a checkdam across Nelvoy Maduvu, a channel that links tanks in Uthiramerur and Madurantakam, at a cost of Rs. 1 crore, next January.
WRD is in the process of completing the checkdam across Kiliyar river, near K.K. Pudur. Officials said the river reaches the Madurantakam tank and again branches out to Palar river.
“We are building the facility nearly 8 km upstream of Madurantakam tank. We expect the checkdam, that will be ready next month, to save about 30 crore litres of water. This will also help retain water in the river for two more months,” said an official.
