Protesting farmers removed from Erode Collectorate premises

Police remove protesting farmers demanding water release in Erode, citing poor water management by WRD officials.

Police removed a group of 95 farmers, including 11 women, who were protesting for the second consecutive day on the Collectorate premises demanding the release of water in the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal.

On Monday evening, members of Keel Bhavani Pasana Pathukappu Iyakkam gathered at the District Treasury building on the Collectorate’s premises, where the office of the Superintending Engineer of the Water Resources Department (WRD) was located, to protest against the poor water management by the WRD. They claimed that the farmers who had cultivated crops in 1,03,500 acres of land in Erode, Tiruppur, and Karur districts were suffering as water was not released in the canal until May 1, 2024, as per the government order. Despite the efforts of WRD officials to calm them down, the protestors continued their demonstration throughout the night.

On Tuesday, senior officials of the department and Additional Superintendent of Police (ADSP) K. Balamurugan held talks with the farmers. The farmers, however, continued to press for water release and sought action against WRD officials for their mismanagement. They also demanded the arrest of WRD. The police removed them in police vehicles and lodged them at a marriage hall.

Meanwhile, a press release from the Executive Engineer of Lower Bhavani Basin Division, Erode, said that water storage in the dam used to be 17.09 tmc on January 5 every year while inflow would be 7.55 tmc between February and April. “Due to poor rainfall, the dam has received only 2.95 tmc during February and April this year which is a shortage of 4.60 tmc,” the release said.

The release added that about 16.52 tmc water was released into Thadapalli and Arakkankottai Canals, Kalingarayan Canal and LBP canal for irrigation and drinking water from January to April leading to the drop in storage level to the current 3.52 tmc. “The available water is required for fulfilling drinking water needs till June 30, 2024,” the release said, and clarified that water could not be supplied for irrigation in the present situation.