Amidst growing demand for the deployment of army personnel for plugging the breach on the regulator across the Coleroon, a three-member team of the Army from Bengaluru visited Mukkombu on Tuesday to inspect the restoration work being carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD). Led by Major Aravind of the Madras Engineering Group, the team studied various aspects, including the formation of a ring bund wall across the Coleroon river, topography of the area, quantum of water spread area, soil condition, water current and others. They spent about two hours at the site, where a portion of regulator was washed away in the river on August 22. Guided by senior officials of PWD, the team members collected inputs on the nature of the structure and the reasons that led to the collapse of the 182-year-old brick masonry structure. They held discussions with PWD Secretary S.K. Prabhakar, Tiruchi Collector K. Rajamani and senior PWD officials on the method being followed to arrest the water flow through the damaged portion of the regulation. The inspection was carried out on the request of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who had taken up the issue with Defence Ministry to send a team to study the need of involving Army personnel for temporary restoration of the regulator. Technical inputs Collector Rajamani told The Hindu that the Army team inspected the site based on the intervention of the Chief Minister. The team expressed satisfaction over the ongoing work on creation of the ring bund wall. They offered some technical inputs to the PWD officials to reduce water current in the river. The team members conveyed that the situation did not warrant the Army’s intervention at the moment. Chief Engineer, Water Resources Division, PWD, R. Senthil Kumar said the restoration work had picked up pace with the formation of groynes to deflect water force. Out of 120 meters of damaged portion, the ring bund wall had been formed for about 50 meters. Many shutters of the regulator Coleroon had been opened to spread the water flow into the river to reduce flow at the work site. But, the formation of sand shoals had been posing an impediment in completing the task. The partial formation of ring bund wall had brought down water flow in the Coleroon to a certain extent. On the other hand, the flow in the Cauvery had gone up gradually. The restoration work would take a complete shape within two days, Mr. Senthil Kumar assured.

Amidst growing demand for the deployment of army personnel for plugging the breach on the regulator across the Coleroon, a three-member team of the Army from Bengaluru visited Mukkombu on Tuesday to inspect the restoration work being carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD).

Led by Major Aravind of the Madras Engineering Group, the team studied various aspects, including the formation of a ring bund wall across the Coleroon river, topography of the area, quantum of water spread area, soil condition, water current and others.

They spent about two hours at the site, where a portion of regulator was washed away in the river on August 22. Guided by senior officials of PWD, the team members collected inputs on the nature of the structure and the reasons that led to the collapse of the 182-year-old brick masonry structure. They held discussions with PWD Secretary S.K. Prabhakar, Tiruchi Collector K. Rajamani and senior PWD officials on the method being followed to arrest the water flow through the damaged portion of the regulation.

The inspection was carried out on the request of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who had taken up the issue with Defence Ministry to send a team to study the need of involving Army personnel for temporary restoration of the regulator.

Technical inputs

Collector Rajamani told The Hindu that the Army team inspected the site based on the intervention of the Chief Minister. The team expressed satisfaction over the ongoing work on creation of the ring bund wall. They offered some technical inputs to the PWD officials to reduce water current in the river. The team members conveyed that the situation did not warrant the Army’s intervention at the moment.

Chief Engineer, Water Resources Division, PWD, R. Senthil Kumar said the restoration work had picked up pace with the formation of groynes to deflect water force. Out of 120 meters of damaged portion, the ring bund wall had been formed for about 50 meters. Many shutters of the regulator Coleroon had been opened to spread the water flow into the river to reduce flow at the work site. But, the formation of sand shoals had been posing an impediment in completing the task. The partial formation of ring bund wall had brought down water flow in the Coleroon to a certain extent. On the other hand, the flow in the Cauvery had gone up gradually. The restoration work would take a complete shape within two days, Mr. Senthil Kumar assured.