Soon, committees to monitor water flow

(File Photo)

With farmers and farmers’ organisations repeatedly complaining over the delay in water reaching the tail-end areas of irrigation canals in the district, Collector K.Rajamani on Monday announced the constitution of monitoring committees at the district, divisional and taluk levels to ensure adequate water flow to those areas.

Farmers of several parts of the district, especially those in the tail-end areas of the Kattalai High Level Canal (KHLC) and New Kattalai High Level Canal (NKHLC), have been complaining that many of them were unable to take up cultivation or transplant nurseries due to lack of adequate water in the canals.

A section of farmers even resorted to agitation in front of the PWD office in the city recently to highlight their plight. The issue was raised at the farmers grievances meeting last month and the Collector had then assured that appropriate action would be taken to meet the requirements of farmers. Farmers alleged that failure to desilt the canals had resulted in poor flow. Some also alleged illegal pumping of water at some places.

On Monday, Ayilai Siva.Suriyan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, affiliated to the Communist Party of India, submitted a petition during the weekly grievances meeting, complaining that farmers in Subayapuram, Mekkudi and Keezhpathu villages near Jeeyapuram were unable to take up samba cultivation as the upper reaches of the Mekkudi branch canal were heavily silted.

Cultivation was affected in about 500 acres, he alleged and called for immediate steps to renovate the irrigation canals in the area.

In a statement, the Collector said the committees would supervise the flow of water to the tail-end areas of all 17 irrigation canals, assess the condition of the canals, tanks and inlet channels and also check whether water was being illegally pumped from irrigation canals.

“Apart from officials of Revenue, PWD, Agriculture and Police departments, representatives of farmers associations would also form part of the committees,” Mr.Rajamani said.

The committees would stop any illegal pumping of water and ensure proper water management, he added.

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/soon-committees-to-monitor-water-flow/article20419262.ece