Renovation of Lower Bhavani Project canal in Erode nears completion

The Hindu

a day ago

The extensive renovation of the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal system, undertaken at a cost of ₹709.60 crore, is expected to be completed in a month. Water from Bhavanisagar Dam will be released into the LBP canal for irrigation on the customary date of August 15, 2025, officials confirmed.
The LBP system consists of the 201-km-long main canal, which draws water from the Bhavanisagar Dam and irrigates around 2.07 lakh hectares in Erode, Tiruppur, and Karur districts. The main canal also feeds the Arakkankottai and Thadapalli channels at the Kodiveri anicut. Additionally, the 90.5-km-long Kalingarayan canal forms part of the broader LBP system, bringing the total canal network length to 395 km.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the extension, renovation, and modernisation of the LBP system during his visit to Coimbatore in February 2021. The project aims to ensure timely and adequate water delivery across the command area by improving water efficiency and adopting sustainable conservation strategies.
The renovation works, divided into four packages, began in 2021. The comprehensive initiative includes the repair and replacement of damaged sluices, aqueducts, syphons, drops, culverts, and outlets. It also involves constructing protective canal walls in vulnerable areas to prevent erosion and breaches, and strengthening old masonry and concrete structures to enhance durability.
By 2024, nearly 85% of the work had been completed. Following the end of the irrigation season on April 30, 2025, the remaining work resumed and is now actively under way at 115 locations, focusing on critical infrastructure components such as sluices, culverts, and syphons.
Though the works were initially scheduled for completion in two years, the progress was delayed due to protests from a section of farmers opposing the project, even as others supported it. Mediation efforts by Ministers and district authorities followed, and after legal proceedings in the Madras High Court, work eventually resumed.
According to a senior engineer from the Water Resources Department, 94% of the renovation has now been completed, and the remaining tasks are expected to be finished before the August 15 deadline. Despite demands from certain farmer groups for early water release, the department has reiterated that adhering to the scheduled timeline is essential for the long-term sustainability of the canal system. 'Water will be released only after full completion of the works to ensure structural safety and protect the integrity of the newly installed components,' the official said.