Farmers bat for early execution of Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery project

Expeditious implementation of the Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery project and construction of the proposed barrage across the river between Umayalpuram and Marudhur were among the prominent demands raised at the monthly farmers grievances in Tiruchi on Friday

Expeditious implementation of the Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery project and construction of the proposed barrage across the river between Umayalpuram and Marudhur were among the prominent demands raised at the monthly farmers grievances here on Friday.

The National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD), a wing of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, had approved last year the implementation of the first phase of the Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery, a project proposed by the Tamil Nadu government for the conservation and rejuvenation of the river. However, the project is yet to reach the execution stage.

Raising the issue at the meeting, Ayilai Siva Suriyan, district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, pointed out that the Cauvery was the livelihood of farmers in over 11 districts and the drinking water source for various towns and cities in 20 districts in Tamil Nadu. “Thousands of people take holy dip in the river. But the river is being heavily polluted because of the discharge of industrial effluents and municipal liquid and solid wastes at various places along its course. The State and Central governments should execute the scheme at the earliest without any further delay,” he said.

He called upon the State government to allocate funds in the forthcoming Budget for construction of the barrage planned to be built across Cauvery between Umayalpuram and Marudhur at a cost of about ₹700 crore. “The river was being heavily exploited for drinking water requirements of various towns and cities and construction of the barrage is imperative to check the depletion of water table in the region,” he said.

Supporting the demand, R. Subramanian, deputy secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, said construction of the proposed barrage would help maintain adequate flow of water in Uyyakondan and other irrigation channels branching off from the Cauvery. He urged the government to take steps to desilt and renovate all the 17 irrigation channels under the control of the River Conservation Division of the WRD.

P. Viswanathan, president, Tamil Nadu Tank and River Irrigation Farmers Association, pleaded for desilting or all tanks and ponds under the control of the WRD in the district, desilting and and strengthening the bunds of Mamundiyar, construction of a check dam across the Thombachiyaru at Chettiyapatti, desilting of Thoppampatti Eri and the inlet channel to the Ponnaniyaru for a length of 13 km.

State Secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangam N. Veerasekaran urged the WRD to release 3,000 to 5,000 cusecs of water from the Mettur dam to meet the requirements of the standing cash crops in the district.