Farmers on Monday complained of poor quality of works taken up in the past and demanded that works be given to ryot bodies and not to contractors.
They were participating in a meeting with Collector A. Sivagnanam, who announced that 65 tanks in Virudhunagar district had been identified for renovation and repair at a cost of ₹26.70 crore under the kudimaramathu scheme.
The project would be taken up with contribution from farmers, the Collector said.
The works included strengthening of bunds, repair and renovation of sluices, weirs, desilting of supply channels, removal of encroachments and wild growth, survey of tanks and marking the boundary of the tanks.
A total of 29 tanks, 13 in Rajapalayam taluk, nine in Watrap taluk and six in Srivilliputtur Taluk and Nedungulam tank in Sivakasi Taluk under Upper Vaippar River Basin, would be taken up under the project at a cost of ₹10.92 crore.
Similarly, 21 works under Gundar river basin would be taken up at a cost of ₹11.20 crore.
Sixty tanks under Vaippar river basin would be taken up under the scheme at a cost of ₹26.70 crore.
The Collector said 5,731.37 hectares of ayacut would benefit under the project. The works would be implemented through registered farmers’ association. A minimum of 51% of the ayacut farmers should be members of the socieities, he added.
Responding to the Collector’s announcement, farmers of various areas said only ryots of the respective ayacuts should be allowed to take up the works, instead of contractors.
Many of them complained about the poor quality of works carried out in various tanks during the previous kudimaramathu works.
Many farmers said the works should not be confined to strengthening bunds, but the supply channels should also be desilted.
“Unless the supply channels are desilted, water will not enter the tanks and the works will not benefit the ayacuts,” said N.A. Ramachandra Raja.
R. Muthiah of Srivilliuputtur Block Farmers’ Welfare Association complained that during the kudimaramathu taken up in 2017-18 in Rengappanaikkan tank, the height of weir was reduced by a foot.
“This resulted in the ayacut losing precious water that could last for one month of irrigation,” he said.
District Revenue Officer, K. Udhayakumar and Executive Engineer, Gundar, Viswanathan were present.
