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NT Bureau
Chennai, May 15:

        In keeping with Sri Sathya Sai Baba's promise made during the Tamil New Year's day this year, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Trust began renovation works in the Kandaleru-Poondi canal yesterday, to facilitate quicker transit of water to Chennai.

The renovation works began at Aatarambakkam village in Tiruvallur district with a bhoomi pooja in the presence of senior government officials and representatives of Sathya Sai Seva Trust. T Govindarajan, chief engineer of the Public Works Department, and Kondal Rao, former Chief Engineer (water works) of Andhra Pradesh, representing the Trust, were among those present.         The renovation work will be carried out from zero point in Tamilnadu border to Poondi lake, near Chennai. The canal's stretch is about 25 km long and extends from near Uthukottai to Satyamurti Sagar, popularly known as Poondi lake.         According to sources, the entire work would be completed early next year. Efforts are being taken to ensure that the works do not hamper water flow during July and August.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

       It may be recalled that the Telugu Ganga Water scheme for Chennai, was conceived during the early 1980s. However, it did not deliver the expected quantum of water and whatever was released also did not reach Chennai because of the absence of a good canal. In this background, Sri Sathya Sai Baba, in a noble gesture to the people of Chennai, repaired and renovated the canal from Kandaleru dam in Andhra Pradesh (AP) upto zero point in the AP-Tamilnadu border at a cost of Rs 200 crore.

        As a result of this, it took just five days for the water released at Kandaleru to reach zero point. Before the repair work, it used to take 15 days for the waters to come to the zero point. Despite this Chennai was not able to get water as the canal from zero point to Poondi lake was in a damaged condition. Responding to an appeal of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Sai Baba promised complete renovation of the canal in the Tamilnadu terrirtory and the works have now begun.