Farmers in Erode protest, demand release of water for irrigation as per government order

Farmers in Erode protest water release for second crop season, demand adequate irrigation in Lower Bhavani Project areas.

Opposing the move to release water for the second crop season in the old ayacut areas without ensuring adequate water for irrigation in the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) ayacut areas, farmers in Erode staged a sit-in-protest on the office of the Superintending Engineer of the Water Resources Department (WRD) at the District Treasury building on the Collectorate’s premises, on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Farmers said Government Order No. 2367 dated September 21, 1964, clearly states that only after ensuring adequate water release for crops in the LBP ayacut areas which is 1,03,500 acres, could water be released for the old ayacut areas. “Despite strong opposition from farmers, the WRD has issued a government order to release 11.7 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) water to the old ayacut areas,” the farmers pointed out and said the mismanagement of water was leading to a severe water shortage in the LBP ayacut areas.

The farmers said that due to poor storage in the Bhavanisagar dam, adequate water could not be supplied to farmers till May 1, 2024, and blamed the WRD for creating a crisis. “The sad part is that the district administration did not realise this,” farmers claimed. Farmers wanted water to be released from the Kundah Hydro reservoirs in The Nilgiris to tide over the current crisis.

Officials told the farmers that the Chief Engineer, Coimbatore would chair a meeting with farmers on Friday, March 22, to decide on the next course of action. The protest was withdrawn after a hour.

At 2 p.m., the water level in the Bhavanisagar dam stood at 58.20 feet against the full reservoir level of 105 feet. The inflow was 44 cusecs, while the discharge was 650 cusecs into Arakkankottai and Thadapalli canals, 150 cusecs into the Kalingarayan canal and 100 cusecs into River Bhavani for drinking water purposes. The storage was 6.69 tmc ft against the total capacity of 32.80 tmc ft.