The World Bank has agreed to extend the Rs 2,816 crore water bodies restoration projects in Tamil Nadu by 18 months, chief minister Jayalalithaa informed the Assembly on Thursday.
Making a suo motu statement, she said the state had submitted the proposal to the World Bank for extending the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and water Bodies Restoration and Management Project (TN-IAMWARM) from April 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014.
TN-IAMWARM was introduced in 2005 with financial aid from World Bank to restore water bodies in the state to benefit 669,000 hectares of cultivable land.
So far, under the programme, work on restoring 4,910 lakes, 662 dams and 8,071-km-long canals has been taken up and are nearing completion.
Since the government wanted to add some more water bodies this year, it sought extension of the project period.
"This year 310 lakes, 63 anicuts and channels in 26 sub basin framework in 17 districts will be restored at a cost of Rs 258.73 crore and their capacity increased," she said.
