COIMBATORE: Despite heavy police protection, around 2,000 local farmers besieged the PAP (Parambikulam Aliyar Project) office on the Pollachi-Udumalpet road on Tuesday, demanding that no further water be released to Kerala from Parambikulam reservoir. They also sought release of the 'second round' of water for the first zone agriculture under the PAP system in Tamil Nadu.
Even as an all-party meeting is being convened here on March 3 involving the farmers to deliberate the next course of action against Kerala government's moves to draw more water from the PAP system and its plans to construct some more check-dams in violation of the PAP Agreement, angry farmers participating in today's protest said for irrigation of the 3.77 lakh acres around Pollachi, which are divided into four zones, it was time now for the state government to release the 'second round' of water for the first zone crops.
The tension on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border had been building up here recently, after Janata Dal members in Kerala staged a protest, blocked Tamil Nadu vehicles' entry at the border and pelted stones, demanding the release of more water from the Siruvani reservoir, lifeline for Coimbatore's water supply. Simultaneously, the emergency shutters of Siruvani dam were opened by Kerala PWD officials, violating rules. Following this, additional water from Aliyar dam is being released. To this, farmers here said, "Kerala never follows the PAP agreement, and despite many protests, had constructed two check dams across the Bhavani river, blocking the minimal amount of water to Tamil Nadu." This left agricultural lands in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Mettupalayma and Erode dry.
As per the Supreme Court's recent judgment in the Cauvery appeals case, Kerala is eligible to take six tmcft water from the Bhavani river, but is drawing 13 tmcft, violating the court order, Tamil Nadu farmers complained. In addition, Kerala plans to construct more check dams across the Bhavani river before the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) is set up, and moves were afoot to construct a new check dam near Solaiyoor-Kottathurai village. Debris and sand bags have been dumped inside the river, blocking water flow, they charged. Two check dams were already constructed by Kerala near Thekkuvattai and Manjugandy across Bhavani, they added to back their claim.
