Farmers from across the district raised concerns about dilapidated condition of channels that supply water to tanks at the monthly farmers’ grievances redressal meeting held on the Collectorate premises on Friday.
T. Ramamoorthy, president, Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association, said Kalligudi tank had not received water in the last 11 years owing to bad condition of supply channels. “The channels in Thodaneri remain dilapidated for more than a decade. It has to be de-silted and restored as a source of irrigation,” he said.
A similar issue was raised by Sadasivam, a panchayat member from Achampathu. He appealed for clearing encroachments on channels leading to Maadakulam tank.
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Farmers from Panangadi said despite water having been released for single-crop areas on October 7, Panangadi tank and other tanks in their area did not get filled up owing to poor condition of supply channels. “Our tanks remain dry even though neighbouring areas such as Kottagudi received water. We have given several representations to clear the channels and de-silt the tanks but to no avail,” said Suseela Subbaraman, a panchayat member.
Responding to their concerns, officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) said work was being carried out as and when proposals got approved and appealed to the farmers to apprise the local engineers of their needs so that they could take up the work.
N. Palanichamy, president of Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Farmers’ Association, said 13 tanks and channels in Melur still had large blocks of granite which were dumped by companies that were forced to shut down a few years back. “Many of these tanks have been rendered useless and no steps taken to remove them even though the quarries were shut long back,” he said.
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PWD officials said since those granite firms were embroiled in court cases, the encroachments could not be cleared till the legal issues were solved.