THANJAVUR: Issues of water for cultivation and perceived threat due to proposed hydrocarbon projects in Cauvery delta dominated monthly farmers’ grievance day meeting held here on Friday.
Condemning the Karnataka government for not releasing Cauvery water as per the order of the Cauvery Management Authority and protesting against the permission given by the central government to the Vedanta group of companies and ONGC for extracting hydrocarbon from the delta, farmers shouted slogans and staged a walk out from the meeting.
N.V.Kannan, district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to the CPI(M) said that the Cauvery delta should be declared a protected agro zone.
Desilting canals, rivers and channels should be taken up on a war footing so that water reaches tail end areas like Pattukottai and Peravurani after its release from Mettur dam, Kannan said.
V.Jeevakumar, a farmer from the Budalur area said that crop insurance compensation for 2016-17 has not yet been given to some farmers. This should be disbursed. Sand quarries should not be permitted in the Kollidam river. A white paper should be submitted on kudimaramathu works taken up last year in the dist.
Sundara Vimalanathan, district secretary of the Thanjai dist Cauvery Farmers Protection Association said that crop loans should be disbursed for this year immediately. “The Cauvery Management Authority has asked Karnataka to release 9.19 tmc of water to TN, but Karnataka has not done this. The TN govt should file a contempt of court petition against Karnataka,” he said.
A. Annadurai, Thanjavur district collector said that the Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd will deal with crop insurance from this year in Thanjavur district. Kuruvai (short term crop) has been raised over 12,560 hectares in pumpset irrigated areas so far in the district this year, black gram has been raised over 4,021 hectares. There is adequate stock of kuruvai seeds at the agriculture extension centres. Nine tonnes of black gram seeds have been distributed to farmers so far and another five tonnes is kept as stock. There was enough stock of fertilizers, he said.
A sum of Rs 398 crore has been disbursed as relief to 56,341 coconut farmers who lost 36,24,696 coconut trees in Gaja cyclone, the collector said Nedunchezhiyan, joint director of agriculture, and other officials participated in the meeting.
