A section of farmers along with the members of Save Agriculture Association petitioned the District Collector recently seeking action against a few builders in the city who purchase farmlands for constructing apartments.
The farmers led by N. Gnanasundaram, president of Save Agriculture Association, told the media that they had handed over a petition to the Collector to take up the issue with the State Government to rectify the flaws in a GO which would help the builders to easily purchase the farmlands in an unscrupulous manner. The GO has to be amended as early as possible.
Many private builders in Coimbatore purchase farmland from those who are physically unable to continue farming, over a period of time by leaving the land idle for 2-3 years thereby showing it as dry land and get approval for constructing apartments.
For water, they drill the land at many places inside the premises for borewell and pump out the entire groundwater leaving the neighbouring farmers’ lands face drought. Despite knowing this, the officials turn a blind eye to the issue.
The Government should form a committee to give approval for the builders while purchasing farmland. The builders also divert sewage into the rain water canal and pollute it.
The government should regularise the system to identify and curb unauthorised digging of deep borewells, added Mr. Gnanasundaram.
