Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the authourities to file reply on a petition which sought direction to government to construct the bed-dam to prevent the intrusion of salt water into river Coleroon river.
When a petition filed by M. Neelamegam of Kattumannarkovil Taluk, Cuddalore District, came up for hearing before the vacation bench comprising Justices K. Kalyanasundaram and S.M. Subramaniam, the bench directed the authourities file reply and adjourned the matter to June 6 for further hearing. According to petitioner, a farmer, submitted that people in Vadakku Mangudi Village and surrounding 50 villages, depended only on agricultural activities. They depended on Coleroon for irrigation purposes. Similarly, about 50 villages along river Coleroon in neighbouring Nagapattinam district also depended on the river for agricultural activities.
The non-availability of water and severe drought affected the livelihood of the farmers in the area. Now, seawater intrudes into Coleroon River, which has been posing threat to the agricultural activities, as salinity of ground water increased alarmingly and unfit for farming. He sought direction to the government to construct bed-dam to prevent the salinisation of the ground water.
He said in response to his representation to the Chief Minister Cell on January 11, 2017 the officials informed that construction of check dam across the Kollidam river was planned at a cost of '1.12 crore. The petitioner sought direction to the authorities to take up the scheme and complete it within a stipulated time.
