LBP ayacut farmers irked by water release into old canals

District Collector S. Prabakar operates a sluice at Bhavani Sagar Reservoir to release water into the Thadapalli-Arakankottai and Kalingarayan canals on Friday. (Right) Farmers of LBP canal ayacut stage a protest on PWD Office premises at Chennimalai.

Irked by release of water for irrigation from Bhavani Sagar Reservoir into the old ayacut, farmers of Lower Bhavani Project ayacut gheraoed the office of the Public Works Department at Chennimalai on Friday.

After a day-long protest, the farmers in LBP ayacut area have decided to hoist black flags at their homes and localities on Independence Day, said K.V. Ponnaiyan, president of Tamil Nadu Swadeshi Farmers' Association, who led the protest.

According to official sources, the August 15 schedule for release of water into LBP canal for irrigating 1.03 lakh acres under the turn system could be delayed by a month.

Citing the mention of the extent of water requirement for the three ayacuts specified by the Cauvery Tribunal order, LBP farmers say that that the available water must be apportioned as per the prescribed ratio on pro-rata basis amongst the old and new ayacuts in shortage situations. “The PWD’s decision to release water for the old ayacut without considering the plight of the farmers in the LBP ayacut is illegal and against the specifications of Cauvery Tribunal Order,” said S. Nallasamy, president of Lower Bhavani Farmers’ Welfare Association.

On the other hand, the contention of farmers in the old ayacut, who are entitled to two wet crops, is that they have waited for too long, and hence, their requirements have to be prioritised.

As per the first crop schedule, water ought to have been released on April 15 for the ayacut covered by Thadapalli-Arakankottai canal and on June 16 for the irrigational area in Kalingarayan anicut.

According to PWD officials, taking into consideration the anticipated rainfall and the water available in the hydel reservoirs in The Nilgiris, water could be released into the LBP canal in all likelihood during mid-September. Also, the accrual in the Bhavani Sagar Reservoir has always been more during the Northeast monsoons, and hence, there is no cause for any apprehension about water shortage for raising crops in the LBP canal ayacut of 1.03 lakh acres under the turn system, according to official sources.