Surampatti anicut receives copious water

Erode city anicut overflows with heavy rains, urging removal of aquatic weeds for increased water storage capacity.

With Erode city and its outskirts receiving heavy rains, the anicut across Perumpallam canal at Surampatti received copious water on Wednesday.

The anicut, constructed in 1966, has seepage from Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal, its main source of water. While a canal downstream of the anicut runs for 12 km to join River Cauvery, another flows towards Modakkurichi that helps irrigate 2,450 acres. Poor rains had rendered the anicut dry for many months.

On Monday, the city and its outskirts received heavy rains, following which inflow increased to the anicut. With the inflow continuing, water started to overflow and passed through the canal to reach Modakkurichi.

Local people said the entire water spread of the anicut was covered with aquatic weeds and seemai karuvelam trees and urged the Public Works Department to get them removed. The anicut could store more water if the weeds and silt are removed, they said.