Farmers in Ramanathapuram want encroachments removed from waterbodies before rainy season

RAMANATHAPURAM

Appealing to the district administration and the PWD engineers to remove all encroachments in the waterbodies and waterways before the rainy season commenced, the farmers on Saturday.

At the farmers’ grievances redressal meeting that was chaired by District Collector Johny Tom Varghese in which officials from multiple departments attended, the farmers also urged the administration to clear ‘ karuvelam’ trees in panchayat union tanks of the district.

Farmer Kannappan said that almost all the 54 panchayat union tanks had encroachments. This affected the smooth water flow from one end to another. Though the farmers have been repeatedly raising the issue, it had not been executed effectively by the PWD authorities, he charged and asked the Collector to get an assurance from the engineers that it would be removed well on time before the rainy season started.

Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam district secretary Karunanidhi claimed that a sand quarry operating at M. Karisalkulam near Kadaladi threatened the yield of waterbodies in the area. “It would be good to direct the operator to suspend the quarry at the earliest as the water table was declining,” he said.

Another farmer Mayilvaganan wanted the crop insurance payments released as it would enable them to purchase of fertilisers et al. In Kamudhi, the pig menace was on the rise and many farmers complained of their crops being destroyed, a farmer Muthuramalingam said.

The Vaigaipasana Vivasayigal Sangam district president Madurai Veeran urged the officials to clear encroachments along the 45-km stretch of the Vaigai Right Main Canal and Left Main Canal.

A group of farmers growing chilly and cotton in the district appealed to the Collector to open Direct Purchase Centre like the one available for the paddy farmers.