Officials of the Water Resources Organisation (WRO) of the Public Works Department (PWD) have removed pipelines that were laid by a few farmers to draw water illegally, from the water spread area of the Bhavanisagar dam in Erode.
A report titled ‘Water continues to be drawn illegally from Bhavanisagar dam, allege farmers in Erode’, was published in The Hindu on April 27, 2024 and highlighted how many lakh litres of water were illegally being drawn every day to benefit a few farmers in Kanrayanmokkai village in Periyakallipatti Panchayat, Bhavanisagar block.
Based on the report, a team led by Pongiyannan, Assistant Executive Engineer, Bhavanisagar Dam Division, inspected the waterspread area and found pipelines, laid with motors, to draw water from the dam illegally. Officials disconnected power supply to the motors and removed the pipelines and warned of action if the violations continued.
Likewise, WRO officials have written a letter to Tangedco to disconnect power supply to 38 motors that were installed to draw water illegally from the Bhavani river.
A Tangedco worker disconnecting power supply to a farmer for violations in Erode, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Currently, 200 cusecs water is discharged from the dam into the river for drinking water purposes. Officials of the WRO had received complaints that water was being drawn illegally for farming and other purposes. Hence, officials inspected 60 places and found 38 motors being used to draw water from the river. The service numbers of the power connection were sent to Tangedco office at Athani for further action.
Officials said a committee comprising officials from the departments of water resources, revenue, Tangedco and the police would be formed to monitor places along the river to prevent violations.
Meanwhile, officials of the WRO, Lower Bhavani Basin Division, with the help of Tangedco, disconnected power supply to 10 farmers for various violations.
