Minister Siva V. Meyyanathan inaugur ates a desilting project at Sembiyavelankudi village in Sirkazhi taluk on Monday
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

A ₹24.80-lakh desilting project at Sembiyavelankudi village in Sirkazhi taluk under the Water Resources Department’s Special Desilting Scheme was inaugurated on Monday by Minister for Welfare of Backward Classes Siva V. Meyyanathan. The project involves clearing 22 km of the Porai canal ahead of the southwest monsoon to improve irrigation and flood management.

The event was attended by District Collector H.S. Srikanth, Poompuhar MLA Nivedha M. Murugan, Sirkazhi MLA M. Panneerselvam, and Mayiladuthurai MLA S. Rajakumar.

The Porai canal originates from the Puthumanniyar at Kumarakudi and irrigates 4,008 acres across six villages. It serves as a key drainage channel for five others before discharging into the Vellapallam Uppanaru. The canal is choked with silt and dense weed growth, hampering water flow, and posing risks to both irrigation and drainage. The desilting work aims to restore the canal’s full capacity and prevent flooding of agricultural lands.

Mr. Meyyanathan said 194 desilting projects covering 2,764.39 km were completed in Mayiladuthurai district over the last three years at a cost of ₹32.98 crore. For 2025–26, the State government has sanctioned 1,071 projects across Tamil Nadu, covering 6,179.60 km at ₹120 crore. Of these, 80 works in Mayiladuthurai alone will span 965.65 km at a cost of ₹11.33 crore, all to be completed by May end.