Mettur may be the lifeline of the Cauvery delta region and the rice bowl of the State, but not for the local farmers and residents. That is the strange reality as the Stanley reservoir provides water for irrigation and drinking in the delta region but the local people face water scarcity. Efforts to draw the attention of authorities to their plight have proved futile so far.
In the upcoming Assembly elections, the key candidates fielded in the Mettur constituency — S. Semmalai (AIADMK), G.K. Mani (PMK), S.R. Parthiban (Makkal DMDK) and Bhupathi (DMDK) — will have to walk the extra mile to convince people on implementing projects for sharing the surplus water of Mettur dam for irrigation in Salem and neighbouring districts and also implementing special scheme for the supply of protected drinking water to villages.
Mettur has become a key constituency with Mr. Semmalai, a former Minister, and Mr. Mani, PMK president, in the fray. Both are three-time MLAs (Mr. Mani has won twice from Pennagaram). The incumbent MLA, Mr. Parthiban, as a candidate of the DMK-led alliance has made the contest an absorbing one.
The constituency is also an industrial belt with the presence of a few major industrial houses while a large number of local people are fishermen.
All the four leading candidates belong to the dominant Vanniyar community.
A section of the local population is upset over the government’s failure in constructing a spacious bus stand and also in promoting tourism. The demand for implementing the Thonimadavu water scheme and the Mettur surplus water scheme and a bridge across the Cauvery connecting Kottaiyur to Ottanur has been pending for long. Another unfulfilled demand is the provision of cold storage facility for tomato farmers of Mecheri and a factory for manufacturing value- added products.
But the AIADMK cadre are hoping that the achievements of the government including the execution of the underground drainage works, construction of high-level bridge, commissioning of electric crematorium, funds for solid waste management project and for widening the road from Mettur Camp to Thottilpatti would see Mr Semmalai through.
