COIMBATORE: The water resources department (WRD) is likely to give its consent for a long-pending proposal for a high-level bridge at Kanuvai as monsoon floods submerge the existing low-level bridge between the upper and lower check dams, disrupting access between Pannimadai and Kanuvai and isolating nearby villages.
Kausika Neerkarangal secretary S Sivaraja said the stretch began seeing frequent inundation after downstream releases from 2023, with traffic on the Pannimadai–Kanuvai road coming to a standstill whenever the causeway goes underwater. On Sept 21, the district collector, the Kavundampalayam MLA Kanimozhi Santhosh and officials from disaster management, WRD, and rural development and highways departments inspected the site.
Officials said the earlier alignment, submitted by the state highways department, was rejected by the WRD as it required disturbing parts of the existing check dam structure. The move follows Coimbatore district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar’s direction to revise the bridge proposal to ensure that the new structure does not affect the check dams. Several villages in the Periyanayakkanpalayam block of Coimbatore North taluk are affected during such episodes. Members of Kausika Neer Karangal submitted a memorandum seeking a high-level bridge connecting the Pannimadai road near the Kanuvai check dam.
Rainwater from villages along the Western Ghats foothills in north Coimbatore flows through Periya Pallam to the Somayampalayam check dam. It then fills the upper check dam at Kanuvai before passing towards the lower check dam. During heavy rain, the rising water level inundates the causeway located between the two check dams, making the crossing unsafe and forcing commuters to stop using the route.
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Once the state highways department submits the revised proposal, further steps will be initiated,” said M Sivakumar, assistant executive engineer, WRD. Officials said the revised proposal is expected to be sent next year. “We have no objection to the construction of the high-level bridge. The collector advised altering the alignment. So, it does not affect the nearby check dam structures. Sivaraja urged the administration to install warning signboards and barricades as an immediate measure for motorists, and to arrange alternate route diversion steps, with heavy rainfall forecast over the next two days. Download the TOI App.