Tamil Manila Congress leader G.K. Vasan has urged the Central government to ban Kerala’s proposal to construct a dam across the Siruvani.
Addressing reporters at the Coimbatore International Airport on Sunday, he said the Centre’s recent decision to keep in abeyance the recommendations of the Expert Appraisal Committee for a dam across the Siruvani under the Attapady Valley Irrigation Project was welcome. But, the Union government must permanently restrain Kerala from constructing the dam.
Likewise, the Centre should take steps to protect farmers in the Cauvery Delta region, who suffered without sufficient water to take up cultivation. In the past couple of days, a few farmers had taken their lives. The State government should intervene to stop the farmers’ suicides, compensate the families of the deceased by paying Rs. 10 lakh each and pay Rs. 30,000 an acre in compensation for the affected farmers.
Mr. Vasan wanted the Centre to do more for the protection of Tamil fishermen who were arrested frequently by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line. The Union government’s steps so far were unsatisfactory.
On the question of dumping of waste from Kerala in Tamil Nadu villages that are on the border, he said the State government should take a pro-active role and policing in the border areas should improve.
He urged Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu to voice their concerns on this issue in both the Houses.
‘The Centre should also take steps to protect farmers
in the Cauvery
Delta region’
