Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu and Minister for Transport S.S. Sivasankar on Wednesday (November 19, 2025) laid the foundation stone for the construction of an anicut across the Thenpennai River in Kallakurichi district.The anicut is being built by the Water Resources Department (WRD) at an estimated cost of ₹75 crore and would help irrigate 4,130 acres of agricultural land in the district.Water discharged from the Sathanur dam in Tiruvannamalai district enters the Tirukoyilur anicut through five main canals that helps irrigate agricultural land. The water had remained unused in areas upstream of the Tirukoyilur anicut, and farmers had been demanding an anicut for long, Mr. Velu said.A new anicut was announced by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during the 2025-26 Assembly session, and the work has commenced. The anicut will have a length of 240 metres and the work on completion will help harness 5.83 million cubic feet of water and irrigate 4,130 acres of agricultural land in Kallakurichi district.The anicut would also help in recharging groundwater level and 124 borewells in the surrounding areas, the Minister said.District Collector M.S. Prasanth and senior officials of the WRD were present.Published - November 19, 2025 04:24 pm IST