The ongoing desilting of Srivaikundam dam, which has been taken up following the intervention of National Green Tribunal (NGT), rocked the farmers’ grievance day meet held at the Collectorate here on Thursday as the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadres picked up arguments with Collector M. Ravikumar over this issue.
After Mr. Ravikumar listed the development works being executed by the Department of Agriculture in the district, farmer Thamizh Mani of Kurumbur said that the Collector, besides releasing a white paper on the quantity of sand in Srivaikundam dam and the quantum to be desilted, should form a committee to monitor the work.
Tamirabharani River Water Conservation Forum organiser C. Nainar Kulasekaran said the silt should be given free of cost to the farmers while the sale of sand should be done in a transparent manner.
Public Works Department Executive Engineer Subramanian said that sand would be removed in the dam for about 5.10 km towards west. Since sand deposited for about two feet would be removed, 10 lakh cubic metre sand could be recovered and the silt would be given to the farmers for free.
One Maharajan of the MDMK said that the sand deposited in the dam for about eight feet should be removed as directed by the NGT even as a few other functionaries were raising slogans demanding immediate commencement of the work.
Mr. Ravikumar said that the seven-stage desilting work would begin after getting the nod of the tender committee and the Collector’s permission for allowing vehicles to enter the dam to carry desilted sand.
When the MDMK cadres raised slogans and alleged that the exercise lacked transparency, a visibly upset Collector said: “I’m prepared to answer all your questions. This issue is being politicised, but I view it as the victory of the people.”
As the MDMK men continued their sloganeering, one of the farmers asked them to be calm as many pending questions were to be discussed. When the MDMK functionaries diverted their anger towards him, the Collector said that there was no room for sloganeering in the farmers’ meet. Then, the MDMK men walked out.
