Farmers are allowed to lift the desilted soil from the ponds owned by the panchayats and also the PWD to undertake farming activities in their agricultural lands, said a release issued by Collector Sajjansingh R. Chavan here on Wednesday.
The release said that the government had issued an order 233 (MMC 2) dated for lifting the desilted soil (vandal) as per the Tamil Nadu Minor Minerals Concession Rule of 1959.
The names of the ponds and other waterbodies to be allowed for lifting desilted soil were published in the Gagazette of the Kanniyakumari district on March 6, 2017. As per the Gazette, the number of ponds are 1051 (195 in Thovalai, 149 in Agasteeswaram, 280 in Kalkulam and 427 in Vilavancode taluks) were identified.
Interested farmers are advised to approach the VAOs concerned along with the documents of their land holdings from the panchayat ponds nearby their village, if the waterbody belongs to PWD, farmers have to obtain permission from the concerned Panchayat Union Engineers or with the Assistant Engineers.
Each farmer would be allowed to lift only 30 cubic meter of soil, the release added.
