Chennai, Dec 6: The Tamil Nadu government has approved a Rs 10-crore special package for desilting the Parambikulam–Aliyar Project (PAP) canals, with works scheduled to begin immediately after the completion of the ongoing water release to the fourth zone.

The order, issued by Water Resources Department (WRD) Secretary J. Jayakanthan, provides administrative sanction for 154 desilting works across three key divisions under the PAP.

A senior WRD official said the initiative includes clearing vegetation, removing loose debris, and desilting major and minor canals.

“We had originally planned 160 works, but 154 have received sanction. Our aim is to complete all desilting activities before Pongal, as water must be released for irrigation to the first zone during the festival season,” the official said.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had announced the allocation on August 11 during his visit to Tiruppur district, following requests from irrigation association leaders and farmers who highlighted the urgent need for desilting to improve water flow and irrigation efficiency.

The government subsequently earmarked Rs 10 crore exclusively for PAP canal works.

According to the government order, 44 works will be taken up in the Thirumurthy division at an estimated cost of ₹2.88 crore, 27 works in the Parambikulam division at Rs 2.15 crore, and 83 works in the Aliyar basin division at Rs 4.97 crore. The desilting programme is expected to benefit a total ayacut of 1,33,976.62 hectares across Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts.

At present, water is being released from the Thirumurthy Dam for the fifth wetting of the fourth zone.

As per the original schedule, water should be supplied until December 9. However, a recent breach in the main canal near Vavipalayam disrupted supply.

“To compensate for the interruption, we have extended water release for another ten days, from December 9. Desilting will begin soon after this cycle ends,” the WRD official said.

Welcoming the move, P. Velusamy, President of the PAP Vellakoil Branch Canal Water Conservation Movement, said desilting should ideally be carried out twice a year.

“For the last four years, PAP has not received adequate funds for regular desilting. The current special allocation is a much-needed intervention,” he noted.

The Parambikulam–Aliyar Project, a vital inter-basin water transfer and irrigation scheme, consists of seven reservoirs, four hydropower stations, six tunnels, one weir, and a contour canal system that diverts west-flowing rivers to irrigate vast rain-shadow regions of western Tamil Nadu.

Pimpri-Chinchwad: In a shocking incident, two people died near the famous tourist place of Lion’s Point in Lonavala in Pune District. The incident happened on Saturday morning when a car collided with a container. Two people originally from Goa, visiting Lonavala as tourists, lost their lives.

According to available details, the deceased have been identified as Mayur Vengurlekar (24, Goa) and Yogesh Sutar (21, Goa). They were driving a Maruti Suzuki Swift car with registration number GA 03 AM 0885. While taking a turn on the Ghat Road near Lion’s Point in Lonavala, they collided head-on with a container with registration number MH 14 JL 5525.

Yogesh was driving the car while Mayur was seated in the passenger seat. Both of them died on the spot, with their car having heavy damage. The container driver was injured as well, but police said he was stable.

Due to it being a Saturday morning, the Lonavala area is filled with tourists from Pune and Mumbai. Police officials confirmed that this accident caused a traffic jam near Lion’s Point. Tiger’s Point and Lion’s Point are two of the most famous destinations in the Lonavala area. Anybody visiting the tourism hub definitely goes there.

Authorities arrived and moved the vehicle and container away. The bodies of the deceased have been taken to the local hospital. Meanwhile, a case is being registered at the Lonavala City Police Station. Action will be taken against the container driver, said the police.

Kolkata, Dec 6: Trinamool Congress and suspended party legislator from Bharat constituency Humayun Kabir will hold two counter programmes on Saturday to mark the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

On one hand, Trinamool Congress will be organising its annual ‘Sampriti Diwas (Harmony Day)’ programme at Esplanade in Central Kolkata. The programme, organised by Trinamool Congress’ youth and students’ wings, will be attended by the top party leadership.

“Besides issuing the appeal for communal harmony day, our leaders will also highlight the plight of the people in West Bengal because of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in the state, which is being carried out in an unplanned manner,” said a member of the West Bengal cabinet.

On the other hand, the focus will also be on the foundation stone laying ceremony of the ‘Babri Mosque’ at Beldanga in Murshidabad district by Kabir.

Even as Kabir’s programme led to his suspension from the party earlier this week, he is determined to organise it at any cost.

The stone-laying function will be organised under security cover from both state police forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), as instructed by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday.

As per reports from Beldanga, thousands of people have started flocking to the site for the event since Friday night.

Kabir himself had visited the site several times since Friday evening, supervising the arrangements.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee thinks that she is the only right person and the others are wrong. She must not forget that it was people from the Muslim community who ensured the consecutive victories of her party since 2011. Now the Muslims will demolish her arrogance in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election,” Kabir said on Saturday morning.

The leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, however, claimed that Kabir’s suspension and his function are actually “pre-planned matches” between Mamata Banerjee and her rebel leader.

Trinamool Congress leader, on the other hand, has claimed that the BJP was behind all such initiatives by Kabir.