The Athikadavu-Avinashi project in Tamil Nadu, which was conceived 67 years ago, is finally commissioned recently.
The project proposes to divert 1.5 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of surplus water from the downstream of Kalingarayan anicut of the Bhavani River at Kalingarayanpalayam in Erode district.
It diverted to fill 1,045 water bodies and irrigate 24,468 acres of farm land in Erode, Tiruppur, and Coimbatore districts.
The then Chief Minister K. Kamaraj in 1957 to divert the water through open canals and fill the dry pockets in the erstwhile Coimbatore district.
The scheme was initially named the Upper Bhavani Project.
In 2009, a technical expert committee was constituted under the chairmanship of A. Mohanakrishnan, that investigated the viability of the scheme.
In 1972, the project was re-christened the Athikadavu-Avinashi Ground Water Recharge and Drinking Water Supply Scheme.
The foundation stone for the ₹1,652-crore project was laid on February 28, 2019 and the project commenced on December 25, 2019.