Ryots walk-out at Thanjai meet, protest
Water has become a problem and this year water is yet to reach tail-end areas though 16 days.
THANJAVUR: Farmers of Thanjavur district staged a walk-out from monthly grievances day meeting held at the collectorate here on Friday protesting against the state government’s proposal to construct a check dam across Cauvery near Karur and provide irrigation to four lakh acres as it would affect the irrigation needs of Cauvery delta.
V. Veerasenan, a farmer from Pattukottai, T.Punniyamurthy, president of Cauvery Farmers Association and N.V.Kannan, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to CPI(M), who led the agitation told presspersons that Chief Minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami has announced that a check dam will be constructed across Cauvery at Nanjai Pugalur near Manmangalam in Karur district at a cost of Rs 495 crore and irrigation will be provided to four lakh acres.
“This will be detrimental to irrigation needs of Cauvery delta where Cauvery irrigates 4.70 lakh acres, Vennar irrigates 4.66 lakh acres, Grand Anicut canal 2.56 lakh acres and Kollidam one lakh acres. Now water has become a problem and this year water is yet to reach tail-end areas though 16 days have gone by after Mettur dam was opened.”
“Previously we were taking three crops and now only one crop ie Samba (long-term) alone is taken. Hence, a check dam at Karur is not acceptable to farmers of delta,” they said.
Another batch of farmers led by Kakarai Sukumar of Federation of Tamil Nadu farmers associations rolled on the floor at the meeting hall demanding release of 20,000 cusecs of water from Mettur dam instead of 10,000 cusecs. They also demonstrated their pitiable situation by licking water from a plate to highlight that they don’t have adequate water and walked out. Later, farmers returned to the meeting.
Mr. A. Annadurai, Thanjavur district collector said that samba nursery has been raised on 765 hectares so far. With respect to seeds, 707 tonnes of long-term variety ‘CR1009sub1’ have been distributed and 118 tonnes of medium-term variety seeds had also been distributed so far.