2 months ago
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A premix of municipality and agrarian segments, the Thondamuthur Assembly constituency heads into the predetermination with concerns ranging from the deterioration of River Noyyal and rising human-animal struggle to civic infrastructure gaps successful its municipality areas.
The constituency spans 7 municipality panchayats — Thondamuthur, Dhaliyur, Vedapatti, Pooluvapatti, Alanthurai, Thenkarai, and Perur — on with 7 colony panchayats nether the Thondamuthur union, including Devarayapuram, Thenammanallur, Vellamalaipattinam, Narasipuram, Jagir Naickenpalayam, Ikkarai Boluvampatti, and Madhavarayapuram. Parts of the Coimbatore Corporation, specified arsenic R.S. Puram, Selvapuram, Kuniyamuthur, and Sundakkamuthur, besides autumn wrong its limits.
Agriculture continues to signifier the section economy, with coconut, banana, vegetables, and turmeric arsenic the main crops. The areca sheath manufacture has emerged arsenic a parallel activity, with units producing plates and bowls catering to dependable marketplace demand. Raw sheaths fetch astir ₹65 per kg earlier processing, adding worth to workplace produce.
Farmers accidental the changing information of the Noyyal stream has altered cultivation patterns. Flowing from the Western Ghats, the stream present reaches the plains successful a polluted authorities and carries h2o mostly during the monsoon.
V.T. Valluvan, an integrated farmer, said the stream erstwhile sustained agriculture done a web of tributaries that recharged wells and maintained groundwater levels. “Today, farmers beryllium connected borewells, with h2o levels falling to 700 to 900 feet. Sewage discharge and deficiency of extortion for bunds and catchment areas person affected the stream system,” helium said. He noted that the artifact has astir 4,500 hectares nether coconut, 2,000 hectares nether areca nut, and a full cultivated country of astir 12,500 hectares.
Concerns implicit discarded absorption and unchecked sewage discharge persist. Activists constituent to mediocre segregation practices and dumping of waste, including successful unused wells, successful respective localities. Expansion of existent property successful peri-urban areas has added unit connected onshore and h2o resources. Farmers are besides shifting towards areca seed cultivation owed to dependable demand, a inclination that reduces harvest diverseness and increases reliance connected groundwater.
Villages on the Boluvampatti reserve wood proceed to look human-animal conflict. P. Kandasamy, State wide caput of the Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, said chaotic elephants often participate farmlands and villages, starring to harvest harm and quality deaths. Wild boar, deer, and peacocks besides harm crops. He said the contented has been raised earlier the Madras High Court connected aggregate occasions. “The Forest Department lacks capable manpower and modern equipment. Farmers successful Thondamuthur, Narasipuram, Karadimadai, Nathegoundenpudur, Madhavarayapuram, and Vellamalaipattinam person been seeking semipermanent measures,” helium said.
He added that compensation for harvest harm is capped astatine ₹25,000 and does not bespeak existent losses, too delays successful disbursal owed to money constraints.
In the municipality stretches, roadworthy congestion and drainage issues stay cardinal concerns. Encroachments person narrowed roads successful areas specified arsenic Selvapuram and Karumbukadai, with residents seeking postulation regularisation and roadworthy widening. Representatives of the Karumbukadai–Saramedu country relation said implicit 200 encroachments enactment the Saramedu Main Road.
Drainage infrastructure remains inadequate successful respective pockets, including Kovaipudur and Kuniyamuthur. Residents said clogged stormwater drains and mediocre attraction pb to sewage stagnation during rains, affecting mobility and regular activity.
Electorally, the constituency has mostly favoured the AIADMK, which has won 7 of the 11 elections since 1977. Its allies, the Tamil Maanila Congress and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, person secured 1 triumph each, portion the DMK and its ally, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), person won erstwhile each.
After the 2008 delimitation, the Perur constituency was merged with Thondamuthur. AIADMK’s S.P. Velumani has held the spot since 2011, winning 3 consecutive terms.
Though agelong seen arsenic an AIADMK stronghold, the conception voted for the DMK successful the 2024 Lok Sabha election, indicating a displacement successful elector preference.
S.P. Velumani is seeking a 4th term. The DMK has fielded N.R. Karthikeyan, portion Naam Tamilar Katchi has nominated Z. Rajabu Nisha, and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has fielded Satheesh Raju.
