Despite calls and specific complaints given to the authorities, sand mining was going on unchecked, charged farmers at the monthly grievances redress meeting held at the Collectorate on Friday.
Collector M. N. Poongodi, who chaired the meeting, said that she would immediately intervene.
Accompanied by Joint Director (Agriculture) Anusuya, Deputy Directors (Horticulture) Gayathri and Perumalsami, PWD Executive Engineer Balamurugan and among others, she said that the farmers complaint would be seriously taken note of and action taken.
However, the farmers were not convinced and blamed the officials for conniving with the sand miners. “We have specifically given the locations, where mining is going on,” a farmer from R. Kombai village said.
Perumal, another farmer, claimed that the wild boar menace was on the rise. After destroying the crops, the wild animals entered the habitations, which gave scary moments to families. The forest department officials have stopped to check on the menace, he charged.
However, the Collector assured that they would take it up with the authorities. When an official said that the farmers were given compensation for the destruction, the farmers got agitated and said that they have not received any support including monetary assistance.
Though the Tamil Nadu government had announced hike in milk procurement price, the farmers claimed that they were yet to get the difference. The Collector, however, said that the officials have started issuing the revised price to the milk unions.
A woman farmer, Fathima Rajarathinam, said that water level had gone down in Athur union and bore had to be dug up to 1000 feet. She wanted the PWD authorities to bring water through pipelines from Azhiyaar reservoir to Reddiarchatram so that the waterbodies including tanks and ponds would get recharged.
PWD EE Balamurugan said that they have received ₹1 crore for carrying out survey to enhance water levels in Dindigul, Palani and Natham respectively.
The farmers also charged that wastes from some of the tannery units and sewage was let out on the Kudaganar river. This should be stopped as the water for irrigation was getting affected. The Collector said that people should also cooperate by not dumping plastic waste in the river and assured to take prompt action against the tannery units, which had let its waste in the river.
