Farmers of Ponneri, Uthukottai and Pallipattu, three very fertile taluks of Tiruvallur, have rejected the proposed 126.5-km-long Chittoor-Thatchur 6-lane expressway to be constructed at a cost of ₹3,197 crore. They are demanding that the road that is coming up between two rivers Araniyar and Kosasthalaiyar take another alignment.
At least 1,238 acres of farm land, farmed by 774 farming families directly and 2,847 families indirectly, would be acquired by the project that aims to provide connectivity to the two ports at Ennore in the district. A. Sasikumar, a farmer of Kakavakkam in Uthukottai taluk said that the three taluks together were major suppliers of paddy to the Red Hills Paddy and Rice market that in-turn sold rice mainly to Chennai.
“Our lands are very fertile thanks to the two rivers and hundreds of small and big tanks. We also supply drinking water from Manjakarani to Chennai. All that will be affected,” he said.
In a survey conducted by the Tiruvallur District Farmers and Labours Coordination Committee, it has been found that at least 105 wells would be lost.
Loss of vegetation
Similarly, 10 farm ports, 309 bore wells, 32 agriculture pump sheds would be affected by the project. Apart from agricultural plantations, 6,347 trees would be lost. Farmers said that officials of various government departments involved in land acquisition only acted in a high-handed manner stating that the project would definitely come up and that they should sign in the requisite forms and papers.
C. Jayakumar of Vada Madurai in Periyapalayam said that the project in his area would go over channels thus making fertile lands into dry parcels.
“We grow paddy, watermelons, chillies and even pulses according to the market demand. But now this elevated road will cut cross farm lands in many cases, leading to farmers having to travel two kilometres extra to reach their own lands. Moreover, we do not know how we will water the crops in such cases,” he added.
