Tense situation prevailed at the Pollachi PWD office, as a tussle broke out between farmers during the discussion session on implementation of orders issued by High Court regarding the Parambikulam - Aliyar Project.
Around 4.5 lakh acres of land is irrigated through the Parambikulam -Aliyar irrigation project. Water released to the four irrigation zones through this project is the preliminary source for the farmers in and around the region.
The farmers at the places claim that the canals do not get enough water as water is drawn by the people who live along the canal using electric motors and high-suction pumps. Hence, the farmers whose lands are situated at the end of the canal do not get enough water.
Vijayasekar, a farmer from Udumalpet filed a case in the Chennai high court seeking regularization of water supply in the canal. Judges of the high court, who heard this case has ordered the Superintending Engineer of PWD to hear the opinions of farmers on releasing water at 120 cubic feet per second, so that 120 acres of land gets water for irrigation.
As per the orders, a meeting was conducted today at the PWD office in Pollachi by the Chief Engineer Venkatachalam. Farmers voiced their opinion about the irrigation project and when a farmer Vijayasekar who filed the case in the court tried to speak, one section of the farmers did not allow him to speak, hence an argument broke out between the two sides.
PWD officials tried to pacify the farmers. As the situation got worse, the PWD officials declared that the meeting has ended and left the venue. Vijayasekar, who has filed the case made allegations that the officials are acting in favor of one section of the farmers. He staged a sit-in-protest inside the premise. After intervention by the police, he withdrew his protest.
A majority of the farmers who took part in the meeting favored for the present water sharing arrangement. They also said that the canal should be maintained properly in order to deliver the water to the peripheral regions of canal.