Plea to prevent irregularities in removing silt from lakes and ponds at Erode

The farmers demanded that measures should be taken to prevent irregularities in removing silt from lakes and ponds.

The Erode District Agricultural Grievance Redressal meeting was held in the collectorate on Friday under the chairmanship of District Collector Rajagopal Sunkara. The farmers who participated in the meeting raised various demands.

Bhavani River, Thadapalli-Arakankottai Irrigation Association president Subi. Thalapathy:

According to the court order, inspection work is going to be done from July 2 to remove illegally installed water pump sets in water bodies including Bhavani river. For that purpose, Thadapalli-Arakkankottai, Kilpavani, Kalingarayan Irrigation Council administrators should also be included in the committee.

While the government has given permission to farmers to take soil in ponds and lakes. But some persons are obstructing and misusing it. This should be monitored.

Action should be taken against the irregularities in silting in Bhavanisagar dam.

Water should be opened for irrigation in Thadapally-Arakkankottai and Kalingarayan ayacut after the onset of southwest monsoon. A dispute between officials and a farmer at Akkarai Kodiveri Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society has left the warehouse there sealed for 11 months. Due to this, other farmers' products stored there are also affected. Therefore, interest for 11 months should be waived for the farmers who have availed economic loan. 

Tamil Nadu Small and Marginal Farmers' Association President K.R. Suthandrarasu: Copra is bought at Rs.85 per kg in Karnataka and brought here and sold at NAFED outlets for Rs.115. This should be prevented.

Tamil Nadu Farmers Association District President S. Periyasamy:

 Water should be opened on August 16 as per the schedule in Kilbavani dam. It can be opened after the water level rises in the dam. Collector should inspect the Erode uzhavar sandhai to prevent some malpractices there. 

Details of the response given by the authorities:

 In order to prevent water theft, pipes have been removed at 22 places in the Kilbavani ayacut area. Pipelines for 26 wells have been removed. After July 2, further investigation will be done and action will be taken.

Plants discharging untreated dye effluent are sealed. In the last one year, action was taken on 140 dye and bleaching units.

When the Pollution Control Board official responded regarding the discharge of dye waste, Collector Rajagopal Sunkara expressed dissatisfaction over their performance.

Ryots have sent me a picture that there was a lot of sewage in the Kilpavani canal when it was being cleaned.

He said that the proceedings on the petitions submitted in the Farmers' Grievance Meeting and the proceedings of the meeting are being uploaded on the Internet.