The Rs.253-crore flood prevention project, to strengthen the bunds of the Cauvery, Coleroon and other rivers in Tiruchi, Karur and combined Perambalur districts, would be completed within two years, Public Works Department Minister Durai Murugan has said. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi would lay the foundation stones for this and three other projects of the Public Works Department to be taken up in Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Karur, Nagapattinam and combined Perambalur districts here on June 24. Mr.Durai Murugan inspected the site for the construction of a barrage across the Cauvery river near Mayanur and venue for the Chief Minister's function at the Anna Nagar Uzhavar Sandhai ground here on Thursday. The bunds of the Cauvery and Coleroon rivers would be strengthened between Mayanur and Grand Anaicut under the flood prevention scheme. The project also includes several other components to put in place permanent flood prevention measures to protect Tiruchi and Srirangam, which came under threat during the floods in November 2005, Mr.Durai Murugan said. Nearly 45 components would be taken up under the project. Apart from strengthening the bunds of the two rivers, improvements to Uyyakondan and Kudamuritti rivers in Tiruchi City would also be taken up. NABARD funding The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs.197.17 crore under its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for the project. A separate project to protect Tiruchi city from floods, announced earlier by the Chief Minister earlier at a cost of Rs.87 crore, is being merged with the flood prevention scheme as some of the components in the two projects overlapped. Silt deposit Answering a query on the demand for desilting the Coleroon river, in the wake of reports that it could not draw heavy flood discharges due to accumulation of silt, Mr. Durai Murugan said the problem would be sorted out automatically as silt deposits would be scooped up to strengthen the river bund under the flood prevention project. Periodic reports In reply to another query, the Minister said that all Superintending Engineers of his department have been asked to submit periodic reports on the removal of encroachments on water bodies under their respective jurisdictions. "We are making all efforts to remove encroachments and also to preserve the water bodies intact,' Mr.Durai Murugan said.