Farmers get nod to take topsoil from Bhavani Sagar reservoir

Farmers received green signal on Friday to take as much topsoil as they require from the Bhavani Sagar reservoir to enrich their fields.

In deference to plea by farmers during the monthly grievances redress meeting to lift the limit of five lorry loads per applicant, District Collector S.Prabakar instructed PWD officials to receive additional application from farmers for taking higher quantum of soil.

Likewise, the soil could be taken by farmers in the entire ayacut of the dam, though priority would be given to farmers in the immediate surroundings, he said.

He added that the government had permitted the district administration to take decisions on removal of topsoil from the dam.

Two committees consisting of representatives of the Forest, PWD and Revenue departments would be formed shortly to scrutinise the applications from farmers.

Water supply

Responding to the plea for supply of unpolluted drinking water directly from Bhavani Sagar dam to all ayacut areas made by S.Nallasamy in the context of the perception that cancer affliction rate was highest in Erode district, the Collector said that a proposal had been sent to the government to lay underground pipelines for the purpose from the reservoir along the canals and branch canals.

The Collector said water pollution caused by industries had to be handled with ‘carrot and stick’ approach. While ordering closure of industries that failed to adhere to norms, the administration was also close to finding a lasting solution.

Treatment plant

A model treatment plant coming up at Soolai to process 2.4 lakh litres of waste water a day, he said, would be made operational this month. The method of purification of effluent would subsequently be replicated on a large scale by industries.

As for the fear about high rate of cancer affliction, leading medical experts on the subject from across the country had been invited for a discussion on April 21, to analyse causes and determine intervention methods, the Collector said.