Farmers, activists form committee to retrieve irrigation tanks along Thuvakudi-Panjapur bypass

Some farmers and activists have formed a joint committee for “retrieving” 10 irrigation tanks along the recently-laid bypass between Thuvakudi and Panjapur as part of a semi-ring road planned around Tiruchi

Some farmers and activists have formed a joint committee for “retrieving” 10 irrigation tanks along the recently-laid bypass between Thuvakudi and Panjapur as part of a semi-ring road planned around the city.

At a meeting held recently, the activists and farmers alleged that the bypass section between Thuvakudi and Panjapur was laid across the tanks during the COVID 19 pandemic in a hurried manner despite opposition from them.

M.P. Chinnadurai, a farmers leader, who had spearheaded agitations in the past against the construction of the bypass across the irrigation tanks, presided over the meeting. He has filed a petition before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking the restoration of tanks. The meeting decided to form a coordination committee under Mr. Chinnadurai to pursue the cause.

The National Highways Authority of India recently took steps to prepare a detailed project report for widening the two-lane bypass between Thuvakudi on Tiruchi-Thanjavur National Highway and Panjapur on Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway into a four-lane road and build a four-lane bypass between Panjapur and Thindukarai on Tiruchi-Karur National Highway.

Work on the bypass between Panjapur and Thindukarai was started 15 years ago but was stopped in 2010 on the orders of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court after farmers objected to the road being laid across the Kothamangalam, Kallikudi, and Punganur irrigation tanks. The court ordered that the road be laid without affecting the irrigation sources. Subsequently, a new alignment was finalised, which caused delay in reviving the project.

Mr. Chinnadurai told The Hindu that the Thuvakudi-Panjapur section had been laid across K. Sathanur Big Tank, Kanakankulam, Olaiyur, Kumbakudi, Suriyur, Thuvakudi Big, Paranthankulam and other tanks. “The authorities need to protect the waterbodies,” he said and claimed that the district officials had revoked the permission given to NHAI to build the bypass between Thuvakudi and Panjapur across the tanks following the High Court directive on the bypass alignment between Panjapur and Thindukarai. Yet, the NHAI had built the road on the section, he alleged.