CHENNAI: Having learned lessons from the floods and drought in the last two years, the state government on Thursday unveiled a water conservation plan, including construction of check dams, subsurface dykes and anicut to regulate irrigation at a cost of `1,000 crore. They will be completed in the next three years.Palaniswami made the announcement to this effect, while replying to the debate on demand for grants for the public works department."It has been planned to build structures to recharge the groundwater table and divert water from rivers to tanks. At least 75 check dams, subsurface dykes, and 10 anicuts will be built in this fiscal at a cost of `350 crore," the chief minister said. A regulator will also be constructed at Uppanar river in Sirkazhi block of Nagapattinam to prevent sea water incursion, while irrigation channels will be restored in Salem, Tirupur, and Tiruvarur districts. Palaniswami said that e famous Vandiyur tank in the famous Vandiyur tank in Madurai and Jameen tanks in Thiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram would also be restored.Against the backdrop of the intense competition between AIADMK and DMK over desilting temple tanks, Palaniswami said the state government has notified nearly 36,345 water bodies for desilting under Kudimaramathu, and work is on. "At least 4.41million cubic metre of nutrient-rich silt has been removed from these water bodies and 86,355 farmers have benefited," he said.

Stay updated with all the Chennai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.