Farmers of the Cauvery river sub-basin in the delta region are a disappointed lot that the inauguration of a mega project of expansion, renovation and modernisation of the irrigation system in their region was scheduled for Sunday not in their own district but a neighbouring one.
“We felt happy that, at last, our basin has attracted the attention of policymakers and administrators after several years when the ₹3,384-crore project was announced in August last by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami during his COVID-19 inspection visits to the delta districts. But now we feel belittled on hearing that the inauguration of the mega project is going to be held along with the launching of the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar project at Kunnathur in Pudukottai district, which is located close to the Grand Anicut Canal sub-basin of Cauvery,” they said.
Once implemented, the project will ensure assured irrigation for around 4.50 lakh acres of fertile lands in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai districts served by the Cauvery and 21 of its tributaries falling in the lower Cauvery sub-basin.
Claiming that the Grand Anicut Canal sub-basin has always remained a favoured region of administrators irrespective of the partyin power in the State, Sundara Vimalanathan, secretary, Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, says that by scheduling the foundation laying function of the project in a neighbouring district, the policymakers and the administrators have once again reaffirmed their prioritisation of the regions.
To add strength to his contention, he cites the practice of releasing adequate quantity of water for irrigation into the GA Canal every season without any interruption. “The supply in GA Canal will never get reduced even during the periods where the turn system will be adopted in Cauvery and Vennar sub-divisions to ensure an equitable distribution of available water,” he adds.
