Erode’s 743-year-old Kalingarayan Canal aqueduct will be demolished due to safety issues. This aqueduct, believed to be Tamil Nadu’s first, has become structurally unsafe. The Water Resources Department approved demolition and construction of a new aqueduct with five vents to keep water flowing in the Perumpallam canal. Work will start on April 1, 2026, after irrigation supply stops on March 31. The Kalingarayan Canal and its anicut were built between 1270 and 1282 by Kalingarayan, a Kongu chieftain. His river interlinking project is among India’s oldest and still irrigates over 15,700 acres in Erode district. The aqueduct is 41 metres long with 14 vents and crosses the Perumpallam canal. Francis Buchanan, a Scottish surveyor, called it an "outstanding engineering work" in 1807. Repair attempts over the years, including those by British engineer C.E. Faber in 1833, have failed to stop leakages. Now, replacement is the only practical option. Researcher K. Banuchandar and local farmers want to preserve the aqueduct and suggest building the new one alongside it. They warn that demolishing it erases a vital part of local history. The project’s estimated cost is ₹83.30 crore. Materials from the old aqueduct will be kept to honor Kalingarayan’s engineering legacy. The original canal diverts water from the Bhavani river through a 91.10-km waterway into the Noyyal river, continuing its 13th-century mission.