The Design Research and Construction Support wing acts as a Nodal Agency for the following schemes:
- Repair, Renovation, and Restoration of water bodies
- Desilting of Dams in the State
- Coastal Protection Works under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project
The Design Circle functioning under this wing evolves design and drawings for irrigation structures such as reservoirs, canals, tanks, anicuts, regulators, check dams, etc. The Design Circle also recommends necessary remedial measures for issues such as cracks, seepage, leakage, distress, and other problems that may occur in these irrigation structures.
The Soil Mechanics & Research Division, also functioning under this wing, serves as a Central Quality Control Laboratory in Chennai, conducting both field and laboratory tests for soil, concrete, and construction materials.
Established in 1944 at Poondi, the Institute of Hydraulics and Hydrology carries out basic research for irrigation and model studies in the fields of hydraulics, hydrology, and coastal engineering. It also monitors shoreline oscillations at select points along the eastern and western coasts of Tamil Nadu. Additionally, the institute conducts sedimentation studies in reservoirs and tanks to determine the reduction in capacity due to sedimentation, assess the useful life of reservoirs, and suggest remedial watershed management measures to reduce sediment entry into reservoirs from the watershed.
