Renovation of the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) Canal, a key irrigation channel supporting 2,07,000 acres in Erode, Tiruppur, and Karur districts of Tamil Nadu, has been fully completed, according to Water Resources Department (WRD) officials.

The 200-km-long canal underwent structural and functional modernisation starting in 2021 to improve water-carrying efficiency and overall durability. A total of 523 head and direct sluices were built—114 on the main canal and 409 on distribution canals. Protection and slope walls were constructed along 151.52 km (35 km on the main canal, 116.52 km on distribution canals) to curb erosion.

The canal also saw the construction or renovation of 10 bridges, 129 drainage culverts, nine aqueducts, three aqueduct-cum-outlets, a canal syphon, and a regulator. In addition, 22 regulators were installed on the distribution canals, 450 drop structures added to manage changes in elevation, and 22 road pipe culverts constructed. Executive Engineer P Thirumoorthy confirmed that a leakage at the 13.5th mile was fixed, allowing the water release from the Lower Bhavani Dam into the canal to increase to 1,500 cusecs.