Desilt irrigation channels before onset of northeast monsoon, say farmers

Desilting of Tamirabharani river channels crucial for water supply to tail-end areas during monsoon, farmers demand action.

All irrigation channels of Tamirabharani river basin must be desilted before the onset of northeast monsoon so that even the tail-end areas will get water for raising paddy in the ‘pisanam’ season, said farmers.

Raising the issue in the farmers’ grievance redress meeting held at the Collectorate here on Friday, they said wild growth of waterweeds would affect water flow in Kodagan and Palayam channels. So, Public Works Department officials should be instructed to take immediate steps to remove them and desilt the channels as the monsoon would start in October itself.

Collector K.P. Karthikeyan instructed the PWD officials to remove the waterweeds, especially water hyacinth, from the irrigation channels and take the removed weeds to some other place instead of keeping it on the banks.

Since unexpected rains had damaged paddy raised on 21.94 hectares in Pallamadai village under Maanur union, revenue and agriculture officials must jointly survey the affected fields and send a report to the Director of Agriculture so that the affected farmers could get compensation. A total of 242 tonnes of paddy harvested during ‘kar’ season had been procured through the four direct purchase centres in the district, he said.

Some of the farmers said wild boars, bears and elephants invaded and damaged crops on fields close to Western Ghats. If the farmers tried to chase them back into the forest, the animals attack them. Monkeys in search of food invade houses and damage the tiled roofs. In areas surrounding Maanur, they also damage the coconuts, said Sorimuthu of Vickramasingapuram.

P. Perumbadaiyar said the damage caused by herds of wild boars had increased even as the Tamil Nadu government is considering for a long time to remove the animal from the list of Scheduled Wild Animals. They also attack farmers. More than 10 farmers have sustained injuries in the past few months. A hospital must be set up exclusively for treating farmers injured in wild animal attacks, he said.

The Collector asked the farmers injured in such attacks to file a complaint with the nearest police station so that the victims could get medical assistance and compensation based on the first information report.