A team of nearly 100 members of the recently formed Athikadavu – Avanashi Ground Water Recharge Water Supply Scheme Struggle Committee visited the scheme areas in four batches for gathering the opinion of the target beneficiaries.
The teams visited more than 35 villages and towns along the scheme channel route travelling around 176 km.
The struggle committee was formed recently with the participation of Pattali Makkal Katchi, Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangham, Kongu Nadu Munnetra Kazhagam, and Kongu Illaingar Peravai to urge the State Government to implement a scheme, which was being actively pursued since 1956, said G.K. Nagaraj of the Struggle Committee.
The scheme is aimed at diverting the 2.5 tmcft of surplus water in Bhavani during the rainy season for filling the 220 water bodies in eight taluks in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode districts. The water bodies are situated in the driest pockets of the Kongu region. The project is expected to cost around Rs. 1,850 crore.
Under the scheme, surplus water from Athikadavu, near Pilloor, will be diverted through a channel for a distance of 45 km till Annur and from there the channel would branch off into two with one going up to Grey Nagar in Perundurai. The channel from Annur to Achampalayam will be 65 km and the other one up to Thekkalur - 20 km.
The project has already got feasibility clearance from a committee headed by A. Mohanakrishnan of the Cauvery Technical Expert Cell.
The struggle committee commenced the field visit for assessment of the end beneficiary opinion from Mathampalayam, near Periyanaickenpalayam, and held discussions with Vivasayigal Sangham leader M.R. Sivasamy and a champion for the cause of the scheme S.M.R. Natarajan.
Mr. Nagaraj said that there was a hope among the farmers and they would still wait for the scheme to prevent the eight taluks from becoming a desert.
