Farmers, who are on a hunger strike in Kangeyam demanding adequate release of water for the Vellakoil branch canal under the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) said that they petitioned Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami in Coimbatore on Friday.
According to P. Velusamy, one of the members of the PAP-Vellakoil Branch Canal Water Protection Committee, the representatives submitted the petition to Mr. Palaniswami, who said that he would look into their demands.
On Friday, a section of farmers also held talks with District Collector K. Vijayakarthikeyan.
However, the farmers continued their protest on Saturday as no action was taken regarding their demands, he said.
The farmers are planning to stage a sit-in protest at the Public Works Department office on Tiruppur Road in Kangeyam on Monday. With around 25 farmers staging hunger strike, their protest entered the fifth day on Saturday.
Meanwhile, BJP State Agriculture Wing president G.K. Nagaraj said in a statement that Minister for Animal Husbandry Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan must intervene in the issue and look for an amicable solution.
In a press release, Mr. Vijayakarthikeyan said that committees have been formed to monitor alleged siphoning off water from the PAP canal. The committees will include officials from the PWD, Revenue Department and the district police, he said.
