Coimbatore, August 12: Farmers reliant on the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) have urgently requested the Tamil Nadu government to release ₹14.98 crore for the cleaning and repair of irrigation canals. They warned that poor maintenance of these canals during the weak southwest monsoon could lead to significant water wastage.
Organizations utilizing water from the PAP have identified 229 repair projects across the entire irrigation network.
This project irrigates approximately 3.80 lakh acres of agricultural land spread across Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Erode districts. It relies on a vast network primarily fed by the Thirumurthy and Aliyar dams.
Under the Thirumurthy reservoir system, around 1.90 lakh acres of land are irrigated annually across two zones, with each zone covering about 95,000 acres. This year, agricultural land in zones 2 and 3 is slated to receive water. Additionally, the Aliyar reservoir system irrigates roughly 25,000 acres each year.
Farmers emphasize that regular cleaning and weed removal are essential to maintain canal capacity and ensure that water released from reservoirs reaches agricultural fields without unnecessary waste.
The project comprises 150 organizations, including 134 under the Thirumurthy reservoir system and 16 under the Aliyar system. These organizations claim they lack sufficient resources to undertake extensive maintenance work independently, making them reliant on government assistance.
Medical K. Paramasivam, chairman of the Thirumurthy Reservoir Project Committee, noted that maintenance work on canals was previously conducted under the ‘Kudimaramathu’ scheme during the AIADMK government. He alleged that the previous DMK government failed to allocate funds for such work in its initial four years. Following repeated demands from farmers, ₹10 crore was approved last year for canal cleaning.
Now, these organizations have submitted proposals for 229 projects, with an estimated cost of ₹14.98 crore. Farmer representatives have also reached out to three government ministers, including the finance and water resources ministers, as well as the minister in charge of Tiruppur district, to expedite approval.
They stated that while assurances were given regarding fund release, they are still awaiting allocation. Due to insufficient rainfall from the southwest monsoon, farmers fear that delays in canal cleaning could diminish the effectiveness of water released from reservoirs.
An official from the water resources department mentioned that the proposal has been sent to the finance department and is awaiting approval. Officials are hopeful that funding will be approved soon, allowing repair work on the canals to commence.
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