MADURAI
Demanding immediate release of water in Tirumangalam Main Canal, about 200 farmers from Kuppanamapatti village in Usilampatti taluk blocked Madurai-Theni Highway on Monday. Vehicular movement was affected on the road for about two hours.
After good northeast monsoon rainfall, Public Works department engineers released water in Periyar Main Canal and Periyar river. They also released water for Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts through Vaigai river.
The farmers alleged that water for irrigation was released in Tirumangalam Main Canal for about 10 days last month. Thinking that the PWD authorities would stick to the schedule of water distribution, many farmers in the belt started agricultural activity.
However, water release in the canal was abruptly suspended. The agitators said through they submitted petitions to Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao at the recent farmers’ grievance meeting, their problem was not solved. Repeated pleas to PWD engineers in Kuppanampatti division too did not bring about any desired result, the agitators said.
Hence, the farmers resorted to the road roko. PWD officials asked police to intervene. Police officials held talks with the agitators. Since they did not relent, the police arrested them.
Senior police officers also rushed to the spot to ensure that there was no law and order problem. It took more than 45 minutes for the police to regulate traffic on the road.
The farmers, who were shouting slogans, said they would intensify the agitation as the government had been unfair to them. “If the officials had not released water initially, we would not have started farming activity. Now, we have taken loans and commenced the work. The officials cannot stop water for us all of a sudden,” they said.
A senior PWD official said on condition of anonymity that water could not be released for all areas at a time. “If we do so, then storage level in the dams will fall in the next 10 days. We can release water only in a phased manner. Knowing well that it will not be possible, the farmers indulge in unlawful acts,” he said.
All the arrested farmers were released in the evening.
