The Water Resources Department (WRD) has submitted a detailed project report (DPR) to the Tamil Nadu government for a lift irrigation scheme to divert surplus Cauvery water during flood periods to the Ponnaniyar dam in Karur district. 

This dam, constructed in 1976 between Perumalmalai and Semmalai hills near Vaiyampatti, serves downstream areas in Trichy district but saw limited usage due to inadequate inflows. It was reopened for irrigation after 13 years in April 2025. Farmers had urged the government to channel excess Cauvery water to the dam and nearby Kannuthu tank. Following a Rs 83 lakh preliminary study, the DPR proposes drawing water from the Cauvery at Mayanur—52 km away, and transporting it via pipeline before the Mukkombu regulator, where the Kollidam river originates. 

The initiative is expected to benefit the villages of Elamanam, Palayakkottai, Mugavanur, and Sekkanam. It will irrigate 733 acres around Kannuthu tank and 2,101 acres fed by the Ponnaniyar dam. Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi reviewed the plan with stakeholders.