Farmers from Melur taluk near here complained that water released from Vaigai dam recently for irrigation, on the basis of a Court order, did not reach many areas due to poor water management by the Public Works Department (PWD).
Melur farmer P. Ravi said: “I had taken great efforts to get the water released from the dam to our taluk. But unfortunately, not a single drop has reached my fields so far.”
He pointed out that a channel that carries water to his fields had been destroyed due to encroachments. The government officials failed to restore it despite making repeated representations to the Revenue as well as PWD officials since August, he claimed.
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He also exhibited two communications, one sent to him by the PWD officials stating that they had written a letter in this regard to the Tahsildar concerned and another by the Tahsildar stating that he had not received any such letter from the PWD.
Collector L. Subramanian warned the PWD officials against providing wrong information. He directed them to conduct a joint inspection of the spot along with revenue officials and sort out the issue within 15 days. Another farmer T. Ramamurthy brought a bunch of withered paddy crop and told the Collector that this was the state of a majority of crops in Melur taluk.
Later, N. Palanichamy, Tamil Nadu Cane Growers Association, also blamed poor water management as the reason for farmers suffering without water. He alleged that people who had taken fishing rights in village level water bodies were not allowing release of water for irrigation.
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“I am told that some individuals had been given fishing rights even in Vaigai dam and that is why the officials were hesitant to release water,” he said.
Reacting to it, the Collector asked Mr. Palanichamy not to level allegations on the basis of hearsay information. “Can fishing be a reason for not letting water for irrigation? Fishing is not our priority. Our priorities are farming and drinking water. Fishing comes last,” he said.
He, however, agreed to obtain information about fishing activities in the dam from the fisheries department officials in Theni district.