Lower Bhavani Project Channel: Water will be released in scheduled manner says TN
Chennai: The state government has informed the Madras high court that water will be released in a scheduled manner from Bhavani Sagar dam to lands served by odd turn sluices in the Lower Bhavani Project Channel for special wettings.
Recording the same, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose closed the public interest litigation filed by Lower Bhavani Farmers’ Federation, which sought a direction to the authorities to release 7 tmc feet of water from the Bhavani Sagar dam to the lands served by odd turn sluices in the Lower Bhavani Project Channel for special wettings.
When the case came up for hearing last week, the state government informed the bench that it has passed orders to the effect that for first four days 1,000 cusecs will be released, 2,200 cusecs for the next six days and 3,200 cusecs for another 10 days.
Recording the same, the bench also directed the government to provide adequate drinking water.
According to petitioner, at present about 1.03,500 acres of lands covered under odd turn sluices were deprived of water for the past two years due to failure of monsoon and shortage of water in the Bhavani Sagar dam.
The petitioner’s federation for the past two months were consistently raising the demand with the authorities to release water to the lands covered under odd turn sluices.
The petitioner’s federation by its grievance petition dated December 29, 2017, had highlighted their piquant position and requested for release of 4 tmc feet of water to the starving 1,03,500 acres of land covered under odd turn sluices as special wettings.
Again, the petitioner’s federation has submitted a representation in this regard to the Erode district collector on January 30, 2018, and no positive action has been taken on it, the petitioner added.
